The Assam opposition, on February 21, criticised the state government after MP Rakibul Hussain and his PSOs were attacked by unidentified persons in Assam’s Nagaon district. The Congress termed that it was “murder of democracy” and it will not allow “jungle raj and goonda raj” to prevail in the state.

 The Congress MLAs staged a protest march in the Assam Assembly complex holding placards and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

 “The police did not make proper security arrangements despite having prior information. That area had witnessed similar violence earlier also. This was murder of democracy and an attempt to demoralise the Congress workers,” Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia told reporters.

 The Assam government in a way tried to prevent the movement of the people’s representatives so that no public opinion could be created on the ground, he alleged.

 “The CM’s statement that he would give additional security when Rakibul Hussain visits Samaguri and Rupahihat next time was very insensitive. He has not expressed any anguish or ordered a probe into the incident,” Saikia said.

He claimed that the attack was a “planned conspiracy” against the Congress party and such incidents are likely to continue for the next one year till Assam Assembly elections in 2026.

Hussain, the Congress MP from Dhubri constituency, and his personal security officers (PSOs) were attacked by masked miscreants amidst ‘Rakibul Hussai go back’ slogans in Rupahihat area of Nagaon district on Thursday.

 Though the MP was hit by a cricket bat, he escaped unhurt. However, his two PSOs sustained minor injuries.

 Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar said, “The Home Department and Assam Police have totally failed. Everyone saw who attacked in broad daylight, but still no arrest has been made.”

“Unless culprits are arrested, our protest will continue. The Assam CM must take responsibility and answer. We will not allow jungle raj and goonda raj in Assam,” he added.

 The Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM), the opposition bloc of over 15 anti-BJP parties, strongly condemned the incident and termed it a warning of a “dangerous future” in the state.

“This incident is a clear indication that the government itself is creating the environment to have a terrible violent situation in Assam ahead of the next Assembly elections,” ASOM president Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said in a joint statement.

 “The BJP has been in power in Hindi-speaking states amidst such violence and terror. There are many examples of the BJP government conspiring to create the same environment in Assam,” they added.

Condemning the attack on Hussain, CPI(M) Assam state secretary Suprakash Talukdar in a statement said the assault was “fully organised and pre-planned”.

 “This incident proves once again that the law and order in BJP-ruled Assam is deteriorating rapidly and the destruction of democracy is being rehearsed. It is easy to imagine what the situation of the common people would be like if there was no security for the MPs in the state,” he added.

 In fact, the main target of such hateful attacks is to intimidate and obstruct the work of the opposition parties and “kill democracy” in the state, Talukdar said.

 “If the perpetrators are not immediately caught and punished, it must be assumed that the attack was sponsored by the ruling party and the state administration,” he added.

 The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan alleged such an attack on a sitting MP was not possible without the tacit consent of the government system.

“This is the result of the BJP government importing the politics of violence that once prevailed in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to Assam. This is an example of the utter lack of control over law and order in Assam,” he added.

 Raijor Dal president and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi too condemned the attack on Hussain and his bodyguards and demanded the arrest of the perpetrators.

 “This is an utter failure of the Home Department of the Government of Assam and an ominous sign for the politics of Assam,” he added.