Arrest sparks tensions between Congress and BJP as allegations of political targeting come to the fore
Team Clarion
GUWAHATI — Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested on Saturday following a social media post that raised questions about the legal status of cases involving BJP leaders. The arrest, carried out by a team of Lakhimpur district police, has ignited a fresh round of political controversy between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.
Singh’s post on March 13 shared news about the conviction of three individuals in a 2021 rape case in the state’s Dhemaji district. Among those mentioned in his post were three senior BJP leaders, including a former state president and two current legislators prompting an official complaint from the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka.
According to Singh, the arrest was conducted without notice or warrant. “I was not given any warrant or notice,” Singh stated, expressing his surprise at the swift action taken against him.
The arrest immediately drew sharp criticism from Congress leaders. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary for communication, took to social media to condemn the arrest. He tagged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, writing: “The arrest of my young colleague Reetam Singh (@SinghReetam) for a perfectly reasonable social media post is worse than atrocious Mr. Chief Minister @himantabiswa.”
In response, the chief minister defended the police action. “This case is related to a caste insult against a Dalit woman. If you consider a post calling a Dalit woman’s husband a rapist as ‘completely justified’, then it shows in which direction you people have taken the Congress party,” Sarma said.
