Gunfire injures two as fresh violence erupts in Samaguri; political slugfest ensues

Raha, Nov 10: Violence erupted once again in the by-poll-bound Samaguri constituency during a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally on Saturday. Two individuals, including a woman, were injured in gunfire during the clash and have been hospitalised for treatment.

The rally, attended by BJP MLA Jitu Goswami, reportedly turned chaotic when a group of miscreants fired gunshots, triggering a law-and-order situation in the area.

The procession, which was heading to a campaign rally in Muri Puthikhaity, saw tensions flare when gunshots rang out. Reports also suggest vehicle vandalism and stone-pelting in the area, adding to the already tense situation.

As both BJP and Congress pointed fingers at each other for the violence, a political slugfest has already erupted, further intensifying the charged atmosphere in the constituency.

Condemning the incident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while slamming Congress for the incident, assured justice and stated that the government would not allow any attempts to "sabotage or undermine our democratic process".

In a post on social media, Sarma said, “This is the same Congress that proudly holds up the Constitution for the cameras, yet resorts to violence under cover of darkness to intimidate our karyakartas.”

The Chief Minister further criticised Congress, alleging that the party was "stooping to such depths" to secure its core vote bank - the minority community in the constituency.

“The real question is, why has Congress stooped to such depths in this by-election? It’s not just fear of defeat but the desperation to hold on to their core vote bank that drives them to such extremes,” he added.

Visiting the site to assess the situation, Congress leader Rakibul Hussain claimed that miscreants had targeted Congress workers with gunfire, resulting in two injuries.

Speaking to the press, Hussain said, "Imam Uddin, who sustained bullet injuries, was forcefully picked up by the police and taken to the hospital. The BJP accused Imam of being behind the gunfire. The Nagaon Superintendent of Police (SP) informed that Imam is the prime accused. Also, a private broadcasting channel claimed Imam brought people from Dhubri to incite violence in Samaguri."

Explaining the situation, Ismail Hussain, father of Imam, stated, “BJP workers were heading to the campaign site when some of their supporters tried to provoke our workers. When I intervened, Jitu Goswami and Suresh Borah allegedly ordered the shooting. I was their target, but my son stepped in front of me and sustained bullet injuries.”

Meanwhile, Nagaon Superintendent of Police (SP) Swapnaneel Deka arrived at the scene and launched a probe into the allegations and the gunfire incident.

In a separate incident, miscreants abducted independent candidate Musabbir Ali Ahmed from his residence. He was later found unconscious on the roadside after several hours and is now receiving treatment in a hospital.

The continuous pre-poll violence in Samaguri has left voters in fear ahead of the by-polls. Previously, one BJP worker reportedly died, and several others, including journalists, were injured in clashes between political parties leading up to the November 13 by-poll in the constituency.