GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) alleging inaction on the part of the Nagaon superintendent of police after party leaders and workers were allegedly attacked during campaigning at Samaguri Assembly constituency in Nagaon district.
In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, ECI, the APCC alleged that a convoy of party candidate for Samaguri legislative Assembly constituency, Tanzil Hussain, comprising over 100 vehicles carrying party leaders and workers, was attacked and damaged with lathis, iron rods and by pelting stones, and several people were injured in the incident.
“But unfortunately, the Superintendent of Police, Nagaon, has neither initiated any action against the attackers nor any preventive measure has been taken to stop this unabated attack on Congress workers and leaders,” APCC alleged in the complaint to the CEC.
The party also alleged that police personnel from Samaguri police station ransacked the house of a Congress worker named Arafat Ali at 1am on October 26, without any search warrant and took him away.
“This, despite the fact that the residence of Arafat Ali comes under Khatowal Police Station and not under Samaguri Police Station. It is evident that the Superintendent of Police, Nagaon, has miserably and completely failed in his duty to uphold the rule of law,” the state Congress alleged in the complaint.
Highlighting another incident that happened in the early hours of Sunday, the party alleged that two residents, namely Ariful Islam and Ijajul Hoque, were forcefully taken away by some people in civil dress, claiming themselves to be police personnel. “It is pertinent to mention that they didn’t issue any arrest memo. This kind of terror has been regularly unleashed by police personnel from different police stations of Nagaon district,” the APCC stated.
The party further accused the administration in Nagaon district of playing a partisan role ever since the bye-election date for Samaguri LAC was announced.
“As a result, a situation of fear has gripped the entire constituency. Under these conditions, it has become impossible for the Congress party and its candidate and workers to carry forward the campaign,” the party stated, while apprehending that a free, fair election was not possible in the constituency under the present circumstances.
The party therefore urged the CEC, ECI to initiate appropriate action by transferring the Nagaon SP from the district in order to create a suitable environment for holding free and fair elections.
The state Congress further requested the relevant authorities to transfer the officers-in-charge of Rupahi and Samaguri police stations, accusing them of playing partisan and biased roles in discharging their duties.
Nomination scrutiny
Meanwhile the nomination papers of 11 candidates for the Samaguri by-election have been accepted while the papers of three candidates have been rejected following a scrutiny on Tuesday.
Fourteen candidates had filed their nomination papers for contesting the by-poll in Samaguri LAC.
It may be noted that a total of 38 candidates had filed their nomination papers for the five Assembly constituencies in Assam where the bye-elections will be held on November 13 in accordance with the announcement of the Election Commission of India.
While scrutiny of nomination papers in four bypoll-bound Assembly constituencies – Dholai, Behali, Sidli and Bongaigaon – was conducted on Monday, the scrutiny process for Samaguri Assembly constituency was completed on Tuesday.
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