Assam Police registers FIR against Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Kanhaiya Kumar; three non-bailable sections invoked

An FIR has been lodged against Congress leaders, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Kanhaiya Kumar, along with others, in connection with a clash between Congress supporters and Assam Police on January 23. The incident occurred during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, resulting in allegations of violence, provocation and damage to public property.

The FIR, registered under sections 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 IPC R/W Sec. 3 of PDPP Act, includes non-bailable charges such as Section 353 (Assault on public servant), Section 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), and Section 333 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty).

Earlier in the day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressing his concerns on a microblogging site, accused the Congress leaders of wanton acts of violence, provocation, and assault on police personnel. The clash occurred after Assam Police, following Sarma's directive, halted the yatra's entry into Guwahati, leading to protests from Congress workers.

Sarma, in a scathing post, slammed Rahul Gandhi for allegedly provoking the crowd and violating guidelines, resulting in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati. The Chief Minister directed Assam DGP GP Singh to register a criminal case against Gandhi, urging the use of social media footage as evidence.

"These are not part of Assamese culture. Such 'naxalite tactics' are completely alien to our peaceful state. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd," Sarma posted.

Earlier in the day, tensions flared in Guwahati as supporters of Rahul Gandhi clashed with the police during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's re-entry into Assam. The government's denial of permission for the yatra to use main routes inside Guwahati led to heightened security at Khanapara, the city's entry point.

Visuals from the scene depicted Congress supporters, bearing party flags, engaging in altercations with police personnel and attempting to break barricades, while Rahul Gandhi observed from a distance. Assam Police implemented stringent security measures at Khanapara in anticipation of the yatra, exacerbating the already tense political atmosphere.