Assam Cong spokesperson arrested for social media post; Himanta defends police action

Guwahati/North Lakhimpur: Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested on Saturday for a social media post enquiring about the status of cases against three senior BJP leaders, including two serving MLAs — one of whom is a former state party chief.

He was arrested at his home in Guwahati by a team from Lakhimpur district police, with assistance from Guwahati Police.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, in a post on X said the case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman.

Sarma responded to criticism from Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, asserting, "If you justify calling the husband of a Dalit woman a rapist as a 'perfectly reasonable' social media post, it speaks volumes about the direction in which you people have taken the Congress party."

"But, just wait—the big revelation is yet to come - The nexus of your senior leader with ISI and Pakistan will be exposed by September," Sarma added, referring to the police case against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn.

Ramesh in the microblogging site asserted that Singh's post, for which he was arrested, was "perfectly reasonable".

"The arrest of my young colleague Reetam Singh for a perfectly reasonable social media post is worse than atrocious Mr. Chief Minister," he added.

Earlier, Lakhimpur SP Mihirjit Gayan told PTI that Singh was arrested following a complaint by the wife of BJP MLA, Manab Deka, for a post on X two days ago.

"We have arrested him under relevant sections of law. He is being brought to Lakhimpur now," he added.

Police registered the case under sections 356(2) of BNS (defamation), 67 of IT Act (obscene material in electronic form) and other clauses of the SC/ST Act, another police official said.

Singh posted on X on March 13, sharing a news report about three individuals being convicted by a court for a 2021 rape case in Dhemaji district.

"These culprits got the punishment they deserved. But what @BJP4Assam r@pe accused Ministers and MLAs like Manab Deka, Ex Party President Bhabesh Kalita, ex Minister Rajen Gohain? Is the law equal for all?" the Congress leader had asked in his post.

Kalita, who was the BJP Assam president till January, is an MLA, while Gohain was the Union Minister of State for Railways during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term.

During the arrest of the Congress leader, a lot of drama unfolded at the apartment of the accused in Ulubari, with Singh initially claiming that no warrant or notice was served on him.

As he resisted arrest, he was forcibly taken away.

Several policemen pushed him inside an SUV amidst the presence of many Congress leaders such as Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi.

Gogoi reached Singh's house and alleged that his colleague was dragged by police on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in the state.

"A team of Lakhimpur police have come to Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam. When I went to his residence. I saw how he was brutally dragged away and was not allowed to speak to me," Gogoi said in a post on X.

Referring to Shah's official visit to Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Golaghat district, the MP asked if the Union Home Minister was aware of the "misuse of police" under CM Sarma.

"Is Home Minister Amit Shah aware that BJP thugs have brutally beaten up two Assam constables in broad daylight a few days ago and yet they have not been arrested," he said.

The chief minister is forcing the state police to adopt illegal activities, which conflict with the law and the High Court, Gogoi claimed.

"The track record of police officers is being spoiled by the political motivations of Sarma. People are watching," he added.

Earlier, Singh posted on X a few photographs of a posse of policemen outside his home and claimed that they came to arrest him without warrant and notice.

"I showed them the recent Gauhati High Court judgment, making it compulsory for police to give a notice. I am an advocate and I will comply with any investigation. But I won't go with the police if they are here without arrest or warrant simply on instructions of @himantabiswa," he said.

Singh also said arresting him without warrant or notice would be contempt of Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita's March 7 judgment in the Sakib Chowdhury vs State of Assam case.

"More police are here. No one is saying a word as to why I need to be taken away by the Lakhimpur Police. I am a lawyer. Where will I run away? Why such harassment and pressure on an officer of the court?" Singh said in a series of posts.

"On repeated requests to produce a warrant or a notice, they said they won't. Is this law and order @DGPAssamPolice @HardiSpeaks," he asked in another post, tagging DGP Harmeet Singh.