E-Paper
Congress’s Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain on way to public meeting attacked in Assam’s Nagaon
Congress MP Rakibul Hussain was on his way to attend a meeting in Rupohihat in Assam’s Nagaon district on a two-wheeler when he was attacked
GUWAHATI: Congress MP from Dhubri seat, Rakibul Hussain, and his personal security officers (PSOs) were attacked by a group of unidentified persons in Rupohihat area of Assam’s Nagaon district, police said on Thursday.
The MP was on his way to attend a public meeting on a scooter when some people tried to stop him and his entourage. A video clip of the incident showed the attackers targeting the PSOs and hitting Hussain with a cricket bat.
“We had taken permission from the authorities for the meeting. Since we had been targeted earlier in this area and our vehicles were damaged, we had decided to travel to the venue on scooters. We had also informed the superintendent of police and the officer in-charge of the local station about our visit,” Hussain said after the attack.
“But nearly 15-20 persons targeted us and my security personnel. They damaged the scooters on which we were travelling and tried to kill me. This is the fourth time I have been targeted in the past one year,” he added.
Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah condemned the attack and blamed the Himanta Biswa Sarma government for failing to give due protection to the elected representative. “Hussain has been targeted in the past as well. But even after that, he was not given adequate protection. I condemn the attack and ask chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who handles the home department, to ensure no such thing gets repeated,” said Borah.
The chief minister later said the incident will be investigated by the police and Hussain’s security when he visits Rupohihat and Samaguri areas, both in Nagaon district.
“Following the attack on Hussain, one of his PSOs fired four blank rounds (to disperse the crowd). After the incident, Hussain went to the meeting venue and took part in it. In the past one year, several such instances (against Hussain) have happened. As the home minister, I will ensure that he gets increased security when he visits both Rupohihat and Samaguri,” Sarma told the assembly.
Assam DGP Harmeet Singh said that other than two of Hussain’s PSOs, who sustained minor injuries, no one else was hurt in the incident.
He added that the attackers will be caught soon.
A five-term legislator, former minister Hussain contested the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat last year and won by a record margin of over 10 lakh votes. The Congress fielded his son Tanzil from the Samaguri assembly seat that he had won for five terms earlier in the bypolls held in November last year but lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarma.
