Six held after bottle hurled at CM’s convoy; Congress, BJP in war of words

Golaghat, July 1: A day after a plastic water bottle was hurled at the convoy of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his visit to Golaghat, the district police, on Tuesday, detained six individuals in connection with the incident — sparking a political war of words between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Among those detained are prominent Congress workers, including Pallab Chetia, secretary of the Golaghat District Congress Committee, and Rahul Phukan, son of a former Block Congress secretary.

According to Golaghat MLA Biswajit Phukan, both are known associates of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi.

“Throwing a two-litre bottle at the Chief Minister reflects the Congress party’s mindset. Their politics is rooted in disruption — just recall the Emergency or the 1983 elections,” Phukan said, condemning the act.

“Our Chief Minister came to Golaghat with a vision for development, but Congress cannot tolerate his popularity here,” he added.

The incident — caught on video and widely shared online — shows a bottle being hurled at the Chief Minister’s convoy.

Although Sarma’s vehicle was not hit and no injuries were reported, the episode has raised questions about security protocols and the motive behind the act.

Assam Power Minister Prasanta Phukan termed the incident a “serious security breach” and demanded stern action.

“This is nothing short of an attempt on the Chief Minister’s life. The mindset behind such acts is dangerous. We want an immediate review of his security cover,” he said.

The BJP also held a protest in Dibrugarh on Tuesday, condemning the alleged attack.

Meanwhile, the Congress dismissed the incident as a politically motivated ploy. APCC senior spokesperson Rituporn Konwar alleged that four Youth Congress members — Partha Sarathi Bora, Rupantar Tanti, Krishna Chutia, and Rahul Phukan — were “illegally detained.”

“These youth leaders were not even at the protest site when the convoy passed. They were taken into custody an hour earlier during a peaceful protest against cattle theft,” Konwar alleged.

“If they weren’t present, how could they have thrown the bottle? Is this a new tactic to stifle dissent?” he added.

Chief Minister Sarma, while speaking to the press on Monday, had downplayed the incident with a mix of sarcasm and criticism.