Nagaon bypoll: Congress MP Rakibul Hussain calls convoy attack ‘premeditated’, accuses police of inaction

Congress MP Rakibul Hussain on September 24 alleged that the recent attack on the party's convoy in Assam's Nagaon district was "premeditated", claiming that police failed to act despite being alerted about the possibility of an attack.

Addressing a press conference amid campaigning for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, Hussain alleged that the police and district administration had been informed in advance but failed to take preventive measures.

"Despite alerting the SSP and district administration in advance about the likelihood of attack, police failed to take preventive measures and instead protected ruling party goons," he alleged.

BJP and Congress workers clashed on Monday in the Samaguri assembly segment when a Congress procession led by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was heading towards a public meeting at Larirmukh.

The windowpanes of two Congress vehicles were damaged during the stone-pelting, while some journalists covering the campaign also sustained minor injuries.

Hussain also hit back at criticism of his performance in Parliament, claiming that he had raised the highest number of written and oral questions among the 543 MPs.

He said he had raised issues concerning Assam in Parliament, including seeking a relief package of Rs 20 lakh each for families affected by floods and erosion in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat.

The Congress MP also said he had highlighted the erosion crisis in Majuli and reiterated the demand for Assam's flood and erosion problem to be declared a national calamity.

Targeting the BJP, Hussain alleged that the party could attempt to exploit communal divisions during the bypoll campaign.

"The BJP may try to exploit communal fault lines, but people have seen through their designs and will give a fitting reply in the by-election," he said.

Hussain also accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of raising the "Miya" issue to divert attention from government failures and public anger over floods in Upper Assam.

He alleged that the chief minister had adopted different positions on the issue at different times and was using government welfare schemes to seek support.

"Exactly at this juncture, the chief minister has deliberately raked up the Miya issue to spread poison of division to divert attention from the simmering anger in Upper Assam," Hussain alleged.

He further claimed that artificial floods and natural disasters had severely affected people in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat and that there was resentment against the BJP-led government over its handling of the situation.

Hussain also condemned what he described as the alleged harassment of rickshaw pullers and daily-wage workers, as well as police action carried out in the name of encounters.

The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting of votes on October 9. The bypoll was necessitated after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party shortly before the Assam Assembly election and joined the BJP. He subsequently won the Dispur Assembly seat and became an MLA.