Guwahati: A tempestuous scene unfolded within the Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday, March 24, as opposition lawmakers from the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) staged a vigorous protest, directing their ire at BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi.
The core of their demonstration stemmed from an incident on March 21, where Kurmi was accused of attempting to physically assault opposition members and employing derogatory language during a parliamentary debate.
The protest, spearheaded by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, saw Congress and AIUDF legislators converge within the assembly grounds, their collective voice demanding stringent measures against Kurmi and expressing profound dissatisfaction with Speaker Biswajit Daimary’s perceived inaction. “Our protest is a direct response to the events of Friday, where the ruling party’s Rupjyoti Kurmi attempted to assault opposition MLAs. Such conduct is unparalleled in the history of this assembly, and we insist on decisive action,” Saikia declared.
In a striking display of dissent, Congress MLAs donned black shirts as a symbolic gesture, while AIUDF members sought to introduce bamboo structures into the assembly chamber, intended as a form of self-defense against the alleged aggression from BJP MLAs. However, security personnel intervened, preventing the entry of these makeshift barriers. AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam clarified their intentions, stating, “We are deeply concerned about the behavior of BJP members. They frequently leave their seats to assault opposition members, and the Speaker fails to offer us protection. Hence, we constructed these bamboo barriers to safeguard ourselves from potential attacks.”
The escalating disorder prompted Speaker Daimary to temporarily suspend the assembly proceedings for ten minutes in an effort to restore calm. In response to the opposition’s protest, BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain dismissed their actions as an unwarranted disruption. “The assembly is a forum for reasoned discourse, not a stage for attention-seeking protests. Introducing objects like bamboo structures into the House is wholly inappropriate. Such actions only serve to tarnish their own reputation,” Borgohain asserted.