Assam Congress holds protest rally against illegal occupation of coke plant by BJP MLA in Margherita

The Margherita Block Congress Committee and Tinsukia District Congress Committee joined forces on October 12, 2023, to organize a protest rally in vehement opposition to the alleged illegal occupation of the Brightshine Coke and Coal Private Limited plant in Margherita. The rally, which drew a substantial crowd, extended from north Margherita rangamancha to the Margherita Sub-Divisional Officer's office.

Brightshine Coke and Coal Private Limited, a company owned by Kolkata-based businessman Mahesh Bhimsaria, found itself at the center of the controversy, involving allegations of forceful occupation by Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma and his associates, Pradip Singh and Chandan Kalita.

The demonstration was fueled by a deep-seated apprehension of the environmental and economic repercussions that the alleged illegal activities could inflict on the region. The Tipong area of Margherita, in particular, has been adversely affected by what appears to be unauthorized coal mining operations.

Both the Margherita Block Congress Committee and the Tinsukia District Congress Committee acted as advocates for the aggrieved community, raising concerns about the breach of trust by those who had invested in the area. The congress committee members took to the streets to demand justice.

The controversy came to the public's attention following a report by India Today NE on October 8, 2023, in which a Kolkata-based businessman accused the aides of a BJP MLA in Assam of forcefully taking control of his coke plant in Tinsukia district. The businessman's letter to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, dated October 4, described the MLA's associates' actions as "gundaraj" (hooliganism) and implored the chief minister to intervene.

The letter outlined the events leading to the alleged takeover. In February 2022, Pradip Singh and Chandan Kalita, claiming to be associates of Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma and in possession of a license to establish a coke plant, approached Kolkata-based businessman Ishan Jain. They persuaded Jain to invest in the plant, promising all necessary assistance, but in return, they demanded a levy of Rs 20,000 per truck of transported coal, a fee supposedly decided by MLA Sharma.

Brightshine Coke and Coal Private Limited was subsequently incorporated on August 29, 2022, with Ishan Jain and Pradip Singh as directors. However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Singh and Kalita seized control of the plant immediately after its completion in December 2022. Jain alleged that with the assistance of "local hooligans," he was prevented from entering the plant, and he was even detained at Margherita Police Station on January 24, 2023.