Guwahati, March 24: The Assam Legislative Assembly had to be briefly adjourned on Monday morning following noisy scenes prompted by the ruling BJP’s allegation that Deputy Speaker Numal Momin was “attacked” by Congress MLA Nurul Huda outside the House.
The Deputy Speaker later attended the Assembly session with a bandaged left palm after receiving the necessary medical treatment.
Speaking in between the Question Hour, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Speaker Biswajit Daimary to file an FIR so that a police investigation into the alleged attack on Momin, a BJP MLA who represents Bokajan (ST) constituency, could immediately begin.
Assam minister and BJP MLA Pijush Hazarika condemned the alleged attack on the Deputy Speaker by Congress MLA Nurul Huda, stating the incident is also a “direct insult to the Assembly and the Constitution.”
“The Assam Legislative Assembly is a sacred place of democracy, where such unconstitutional behaviour is completely unacceptable. Such actions go against the true values of Assam and Bharat. Shame!” Hazarika posted.
The alleged “attack” on Momin comes barely three days after BJP legislator Rupjyoti Kurmi had verbally abused Opposition MLAs and tried to allegedly lunge at the Opposition benches.
Even as Kurmi later tendered an apology, the Opposition legislators, unhappy with how Momin handled the situation on that day, felt that Kurmi should have been suspended from the Assembly for his misconduct.
On Monday, Opposition MLAs from the Congress, AIUDF and CPI(M) went to the well of the House and protested against Kurmi and the ruling party’s statement regarding the alleged attack on the Deputy Speaker.
The chief minister said the alleged attack on the Deputy Speaker, who belongs to an indigenous community of the state, would set a bad precedent, and might even trigger a bigger issue.
Earlier, Congress legislators were seen in black attire, holding placards in protest against ruling BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi’s conduct. AIUDF legislators too staged a demonstration demanding security in the wake of the attempt by Kurmi to allegedly attack Opposition MLAs inside the House on March 21.
The Congress MLAs, had prior to the start of the Assembly session on Monday morning, also staged a sit-in demonstration outside the Speaker’s chamber on the Assembly premises, demanding action against Kurmi.