A year after expulsion, Assam’s ex-Youth Congress chief to join BJP
On April 22 last year, the Assam police registered a case based on the complaint filed by Dutta against Srinivas. In her complaint, Dutta alleged the current Youth Congress chief of harassing and discriminating her
Silchar: Former Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta, who was expelled from the party last year following a complaint against Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas BV accusing him of harassment, is set to join the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday.
Dutta on Saturday told HT that she, along with more than 100 supporters, will join the BJP in Guwahati on Sunday.
In a press briefing on Saturday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the report and said they are including talented ‘non-political’ youths in the party.
“We want doctors, engineers, IT professionals and youths educated in other fields to join our party. We are making so many development plans and these youths will help us in efficient implementations. Tomorrow, so many talented youths will join the BJP,” Sarma said on Saturday.
On April 22 last year, the Assam police registered a case based on the complaint filed by Dutta against Srinivas. In her complaint, Dutta alleged the current Youth Congress chief of harassing and discriminating her. She also staged a protest. However, the Supreme Court on May 17, 2024, gave Srinivas interim relief from arrest by granting him anticipatory bail.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that Dutta filed the complaint under the influence of the Assam chief minister.
“She was an efficient leader of our party but she is too emotional. This matter would have been solved within the party but Himanta intervened and made it a legal issue,” he said.
Datta said that during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, she tried to meet him but the party did not let her. “Not just me, Rahul Gandhi insulted the grassroots level workers by denying a meeting during his Yatra,” Dutta said.
She said that she was expelled from the Congress party without justice and she waited for 10 months for the party’s senior leaders to respond.
“I did not join any other political party and waited for Rahul Gandhi and other leaders to give me justice. But when he refused to meet me during his Yatra in Assam, I felt heartbroken,” Dutta said.
She said she is not expecting anything from the BJP now. According to her, CM Sarma was the only person to raise his voice in support of her. “When I was suffering and spoke against it (harassment), the entire Congress leadership was keeping mum. That time, Himanta stood by me, despite being a member of another party,” Dutta said.
Apart from Angkita, Bismita Gogoi, a former minister from the Congress party, will also likely join the BJP on Sunday. Gogoi was minister of state for cultural affairs, handloom and textile during the former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s regime. She lost the assembly election in 2021 and she was allegedly sidelined by the party after that.
Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah on Saturday said that Dutta is not a part of the Congress anymore, so they are not concerned if she joins the BJP or any other party.
