Assam bypolls: Two police officers transferred after violence

Nagaon: The Election Commission (EC) has ordered the transfer of two police officers in Assam's Nagaon district following incidents of violence in Samaguri Assembly constituency area of the district, where bypoll is scheduled this week, official sources said on Monday.

The additional superintendent of police (Crime), Nagaon, Partha Pratim Saikia and Kaliabar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rupjyoti Dutta has been moved out of the district, the sources said.

Jayanta Baruah and Shyamanta Sarma have been named the new ASP (Crime) and SDPO respectively with immediate effect, they added.

Meanwhile, the BJP has written to the EC demanding bar on Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain from campaigning in Samaguri, while a police complaint has also been made against the Congress leader by the ruling party.

Hussain had been representing Samaguri in the state Assembly for the past 23 years. He vacated it following his election to the Lok Sabha earlier this year. His son Tanzil is the Congress candidate in the by-election.

The BJP has fielded Diplu Ranjan Sharma, the party's state general secretary and a former president of the party's state youth wing.

In the letter to the EC, sent through the Returning Officer, Nagaon, on Sunday, the BJP has maintained that Hussain's presence has incited violence in the area and wanted a bar on the MP from campaigning in the constituency.

"The by-election in Samaguri has turned violent due to conspiracy of this one person, Rakibul Hussain. We want that Hussain should not be allowed to campaign here any further. The by-election will not be fair and transparent if he is allowed to move around here," Assam minister Bimal Bora had said after submitting the letter.

A complaint was filed by BJP MLA Jitu Goswami, whose vehicle was purportedly fired upon, at Rupahihat police station on Sunday against Hussain and other Congress workers for allegedly pelting of stones, firing by illegal firearms, attempt to murder and inciting violence.

Goswami claimed that stones were pelted at him and BJP supporters during the campaign in Muriputhi Kheti area on Saturday evening from a Congress election office, with gunshots also fired at them later.

He further claimed that Hussain was present at the spot during the incident and instigated a criminal and other Congress workers to attack the BJP leaders and workers.

The MLA, who said two BJP workers were injured in the incident, named 15 persons, including Hussain, in the complaint.

Violence has rocked Samaguri constituency with both ruling BJP and opposition Congress alleging that gunshots were fired targeting each other's supporters, besides workers of the two parties being engaged in verbal spats and scuffles.

Journalists covering the poll campaign have also been injured in the spats.

On Sunday, Tanzil's SUV was allegedly attacked by BJP supporters at Udmari village and he was forced to return from campaigning at a tea garden, with the Congress filing complaints with the EC and police over the matter, a local party leader had said.

The BJP is making an all-out effort to snatch the seat in the demographically sensitive Nagaon district, while Congress is in no mood to leave its stronghold under any circumstances.