NEW DELHI: Hours after the Assam Police booked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Kanhaiya Kumar and others for alleged violence, provocation, damage to public property and assault on police personnel, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging serious security issues being faced by Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) in Assam over the past few days.
Kharge sought Shah’s intervention to ensure that no untoward incident took place which might lead to injury to Rahul Gandhi or any member of the yatra.
In the two-page letter, Kharge said Gandhi aimed to promote the message of justice and harmony among the people of India.
“Unfortunately, since the yatra has entered Assam, there have been several instances where the Assam Police have been found wanting in providing adequate security to Rahul Gandhi, who is entitled to a Z+ security,” he alleged.
Kharge said some incidents took place since the yatra entered Assam on January 18 as the state police were found protecting the posters of the BJP in Amguri, Sibsagar district, instead of ensuring safe passage to the yatra.
Besides talking about various incidents of attack on the yatra, Kharge also mentioned the incident of Nagaon district, “when BJP workers blocked Rahul Gandhi’s convoy, coming extremely close to him, creating an unsafe situation”.
“In all the events mentioned above, the Assam Police have systematically stood by or allowed BJP workers to come closer and closer to the convoy of Rahul Gandhi, breaching his security cordon, and endangering his physical security and that of his team. Despite all the instances listed above, and the presence of ample evidence available in the public domain, no miscreant has been arrested and in many instances investigation has not been initiated,” reads the letter.
He said, “We request your intervention to ensure that the Chief Minister of Assam and the Director General of Police ensure that no such untoward incident takes place which may lead to grave personal injury to Rahul Gandhi or any member of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.”