‘Provoking crowd’: Himanta Sarma orders case against Rahul Gandhi after yatra clash

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed that a criminal case be filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly "provoking the crowd" after a clash broke out between Congress workers and police on the periphery of Guwahati on Tuesday.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi was stopped from entering Guwahati earlier in the day after it was denied permission to enter the city limits, leading to protests from Congress workers.

The police had to employ force to halt the Congress workers, who broke barricades and tussled with them.

Later, Gandhi addressed party workers and supporters on the outskirts of the city, referring to them as "babbar sher" (lion) who were strong enough to topple barricades. "We have broken barricades, but we will not break the law," he stated.

In the wake of the incident, Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter and accused Rahul Gandhi and his party cadres of “unruly behaviour” and employing “naxalite tactics”.

"These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such “naxalite tactics” are completely alien to our culture. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your handles as the evidence," the Assam Chief Minister wrote.

"Your unruly behaviour and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati now," he added.

Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said the Congress party's yatra would not be allowed to enter the city in order to avoid traffic jams.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which entered Meghalaya on Monday, returned to Assam for its last leg and will travel through the outskirts of the state's largest city Guwahati. The yatra would be in Assam till Thursday.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which has been making its way through the Northeast, has faced several roadblocks in BJP-ruled Assam. Rahul Gandhi was also denied entry to the shrine at Sankardeva's birthplace in Nagaon district

The Congress has accused the Assam government of creating unnecessary obstacles for the yatra and has alleged targeted attacks against their convoys and leaders.