Assam polls 2021: EC transfers minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s cop brother from Goalpara district

By PTI
GUWAHATI: After barring Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning in the assembly polls for 48 hours, the Election Commission has also transferred his brother and Goalpara Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma from the district.

An order issued by the Commission on Friday said that Sarma shall be transferred to some suitable post in the state headquarters and IPS officer Veera Venakata Rakesh Reddy shall be posted with immediate effect as the new Superintendent of Police of Goalpara district, which will go to polls in the third and last phase on April 6.

The order, signed by EC Under Secretary Love Kush Yadav, also stated that the compliance report shall be furnished to the Commission immediately. The EC on Friday barred the senior Assam minister from campaigning for 48 hours for allegedly making threatening remarks against Bodoland People’s Front Chief Hagrama Mohilary.

The Commission barred him from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, roadshows, interviews and utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours with immediate effect on April 2.

Campaigning for the third and final phase of the assembly elections ends on April 4 at 6 pm. Following the EC order, the minister tweeted, “I am asked by ECI to stop campaigning for the next 48 hours. Therefore, all my meetings scheduled for tomorrow stand cancelled.”

I am asked by ECI to stop campaigning for next 48 hours. Therefore all my meetings scheduled for tomorrow stand cancelled.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 2, 2021

The Congress had filed a complaint with the EC on March 30 alleging that Sarma had openly threatened the BPF chief, an alliance partner of the grand old party, violating the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct.

The minister replied on Friday to the show cause issued to him, which he released on his Twitter handle, but the Commission did not find his reply satisfactory.

AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, the prime target of the BJP’s verbal attacks in the ongoing polls, reacted on Twitter, “Threatening, spreading hatred, bullying leaders, stealing EVMs…there is nothing that the BJP won’t do.”

He welcomed the ECI’s decision in support of Mohilary who was “threatened with retribution through state agencies”.