The arrest of Congress’ Assam unit spokesperson, Reetam Singh, over a social media post has teed off a fresh war of words between the grand old party and the ruling BJP.
Reetam Singh was on Saturday arrested for a social media post enquiring about the status of cases registered against three senior BJP leaders, including a former state chief and two serving MLAs.
The wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka filed a complaint against the Congress leader for a post on X two days ago. Reetam Singh had made a post on X on March 13 with a news report about three individuals being convicted by a court for a rape case in Dhemaji district in 2021.
He was arrested from his home in Guwahati by a team of Lakhimpur district police with assistance from the Guwahati Police.
“The arrest of my young colleague Reetam Singh for a perfectly reasonable social media post is worse than atrocious Mr. Chief Minister,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X and tagged Himanta Sarma, the Chief Minister.
Responding to the post, Mr Sarma took a swipe at the Congress and doubled down on the action against Reetam Singh.
“Sir, this case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman. 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,” Mr Sarma posted on X.
During the Congress leader’s arrest he claimed that no warrant or notice was served on him.
Hours later, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, reached Reetam 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 arrived in Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh. When I reached his residence, I saw how he was brutally dragged away and not allowed to speak to me. The police denied me the right to talk to him despite repeated requests,” said Mr Gogoi.
“Just a few days ago, BJP workers brutally assaulted two Assam police constables in broad daylight, yet no action was taken. Why were those culprits not arrested? But when a Congress leader tweets something, the police act swiftly to arrest him as if he were a dreaded criminal,” asked Mr Gogoi.
Mr Gogoi further claimed that the Assam police are being forced to act against political opponents, tarnishing their track record and putting them at risk of legal consequences.