Nine Muslim workers lodge FIR against BJP leader in Assam for physical assault, 'quit threats'

Guwahati: At least nine workers belonging to the Bengali Muslim community in Assam lodged an FIR against Mayur Borgohain, a BJP leader in eastern Assam's Charaideo district, alleging physical assault and issuing threats to quit the district, recently.

They said that the BJP leader's "persons" assaulted them amid a diktat by several local Assamese nationalist organisations in eastern Assam asking the "Miyas" or Bengali Muslims to quit the Assamese-dominated Upper Assam region.

The complainants hail from Barpeta district in Western Assam.

In the FIR lodged on August 26 in Barpeta Sadar police station said that all nine were engaged by Borgohain for the last three years for construction of a three-storied skill development centre in Charaideo.

"Bill of Rs 15 lakh for our work is pending with him and Borgohain has not paid the amount despite reminders. But under instruction of Borghain, at around 10.30pm on August 24, a group of 14 to 15 miscreants, their faces covered, came to us and forced us to kneel in front of our rooms. They had daggers, guns, sticks and plastic pipes in their hands. They started beating us with the plastic pipes and cane sticks. All of us got injured. They even threatened to kill us with their guns. They left the place after we screamed for help. They asked us to leave the district and not to seek the Rs. 15 lakh from Borgohain," said the FIR lodged by Rajibul Hoque, one of the complainants.

The victims are Rajibul Hoque, Ahadul Khan, Aminul Hoque, Amirul Hoque, Surot Jamal, Asir Uddin, Saddam Hussain, Ali Hassan and Asabul Hoque.

They also submitted a video of the incident along with the FIR, seeking action against Borgohain and those who assaulted them.

The FIR said fearing further attack and threat to their lives, they fled the district by a train on the same night and reached Barpeta. They were admitted at Mandia Model Hospital in Barpeta, said the FIR.

Borgohain could not be contacted for his reaction. When asked by reporters on Wednesday about the incident, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "It is the job of the police to take action. What can CM say?