Assam Congress' Reetam Singh Arrested For Enquiring About Cases Against BJP Leaders Through Social Media Post

Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested by police following his social media post questioning the status of cases against three senior BJP figures, including a former state chief and two current MLAs, leading to a new verbal clash between the Congress and the ruling BJP.

Reetam Singh's arrest followed a complaint by the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka. The complaint was about Singh's post on X, dated March 13, which included a news report about three people convicted in a 2021 rape case in Dhemaji district. Lakhimpur district police, with help from Guwahati Police, arrested him at his Guwahati home.

Political Tensions Rise

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications, criticised the arrest on X. He tagged Chief Minister Himanta Sarma and described Singh's post as "perfectly reasonable." In response, Mr Sarma defended the action against Singh and criticised Congress for supporting such posts.

"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.

Allegations of Unfair Treatment

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, visited Singh's residence after his arrest. He alleged that police dragged Singh away without allowing him to speak. Gogoi highlighted that this incident coincided with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Assam.

"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.

Accusations Against Assam Police

Mr Gogoi further claimed that Assam police are being pressured into acting against political rivals. He argued this damages their reputation and exposes them to potential legal issues. He questioned why no action was taken when BJP workers allegedly assaulted two Assam police officers recently.

"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.