Guwahati, April 27: In a serious escalation of political tensions ahead of the Panchayat elections in Assam, Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi and Congress MLA Shivamoni Bora were allegedly attacked by a group of miscreants on Saturday in Dhing, Nagaon district.
According to the Congress party, Bordoloi’s vehicle was targeted while he was returning from a meeting. The MP sustained injuries during the attack, party leaders claimed. The vehicle of MLA Shivamoni Bora, who was travelling behind Bordoloi, was also attacked.
Speaking to reporters, Bordoloi described the incident, saying, “The attackers came from both sides of our vehicle, wearing black clothes and covering their faces. The glass particles from the shattered windows injured us. They tried to kill us. I cannot understand what message the BJP is trying to send. But we will never fear.”
Bora, recounting the incident, said, “We were coming back after completing a meeting. I was sitting along with Bordoloi in his car, and my car was following. At the turning of Dumdumia Notun Bazar, a mob of 15-20 people dressed in black attacked our vehicle with iron rods. We had to duck below the seats. This is the third time I have been attacked, and it has been orchestrated by Himanta Biswa Sarma.”
The Congress party has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was behind the attack and has lodged a police complaint.
As Assam gears up for the crucial Panchayat polls scheduled for the first week of May, the incident has further heightened the already charged political atmosphere.
“In my nearly three decades in politics, I have never seen such a breakdown of law and order in Assam as we are witnessing today under BJP rule. Violence is the last refuge of the desperate. No force can silence the will of the people, and our fight will only grow stronger” Pradyut Bordoloi said on X.
Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Bora said, “The quality of a democracy can be gauged by how the Ruling Party treats the Opposition. That we are in a democratic decline can be seen from how the ruling BJP is treating Congress leaders.”
“Today Nagaon MP and senior @INCAssam leader @PradyutBordoloi and MLA @SibamoniBora were attacked in Nagaon. I condemn this in the strongest of language. Attack on Congress leaders seems to have become a recurring theme of CM @HimantaBiswa ‘s rule. @AssamPolice we are keeping note that you are not fulfilling your constitutional duty of punishing the guilty. Know this: the day of reckoning is not far! Anyway, tomorrow, a team of senior leaders will visit @DGPAssamPolice to formally protest and hand over a Memorandum,” he further said on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also condemned the attack on the party leaders and vowed to respond to such incidents of violence through courage and democracy.
“I strongly condemn the planned and brutal attack on MP @pradyutbordoloi, MLA @sibamonibora, and other Congress leaders in Dhing today. Their convoy was attacked with iron rods, vehicles were destroyed, and several leaders suffered injuries. I pray for their well-being,” he said on X.
He mentioned that this was not an isolated incident and referred to the recent attack on Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain.
“Throughout the panchayat elections, Congress candidates and workers are facing systematic intimidation, threats, and violence. These organised attacks are happening under the watch of the Assam government, emboldening those who believe they can silence democracy through fear. The people of Assam are watching. We will not bow down to political goondaism. We will respond through ballots, through courage, and through democracy,” he added.
The BJP is yet to respond to the allegations.
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