Assam minister files police complaint against EC team

Guwahati, Mar 17: Assam Agriculture Minister Rockybul Hussain on Thursday filed a police complaint against an 'Election Commission Election Expenditure' team for allegedly defaming him by searching his vehicles.

Hussain said that he along with his wife had come to his house in Panjabari area here at around 6.30 PM when the EC team, who was waiting there, asked them along with Hussain's security forces in another car to get out of their vehicles to conduct search operations there.

The team did not state the exact reason for conducting the search, the Minister said. "A person of the team told me 'there is a reason' for doing so. The team came in a car with a sticker of 'Expenditure Observer On Election Duty Kamrup Metropolitan District'".

"After the search was over, the officer who claimed to be from Gujarat cadre, said 'I am satisfied' but refused to give me a report that the search was conducted," Hussain said.

"The search is a political conspiracy as the BJP is afraid that Congress will win the Assembly elections again," he told reporters.

"As soon as the Election Expenditure' team left, my house was raided by an Income Tax team. We have never seen I-T raids being conducted in the night but only in the day time", the minister said.

"There is a political conspiracy and an attempt has been made to defame me and the good work of Congress. I and Congress are not scared by such back door threats using the machinery. We will win the elections again", he said outside Dispur police station after filing his complaint there.

Without naming anyone, the minister blamed a one-time colleague who recently joined the BJP for the raids.

PTI