Assam CM directs Guwahati city police to arrest Garga

Assam CM directs Guwahati city police to arrest Garga Chatterjee for offensive remarks against Ahoms

Guwahati, June 19: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Friday directed Guwahati Police Commissioner to arrest Kolkata based political commentator Garga Chatterjee and bring to Assam for posting offensive remarks on social media about Swargadeo Chaolung Sukaphaa and Ahom community.

Sarbananda Sonowal directed the City Police Commissioner to leave for Kolkata today itself for apprehending Garga Chatterjee.

The Assam Chief Minister said that Chaolung Sukaphaa was the architect of the greater Assamese identity and making derogatory statements about such a great personality could not be tolerated.

“Posting of offensive remarks on social media misinterpreting historical facts could lead to a rift between different communities in an ethnically diverse state like Assam. The derogatory statements had hurt the sentiments of Assamese people and he underlined the need to take legal action against offenders like these for discouraging such behaviours in future,” Sonowal said.

On June 17, Garga Chatterjee tweeted – “Why does @sarbanandsonwal regularly celebrate a Chinese invader and his invading army? Why does banned separatist group ULFA also celebrate the Chinese invader? Do real Indians know that Indian tax money is being used by BJP in Assam to put up statues of a Chinese invader?”

He also tweeted on June 18 – “Why do uncivilized Chinese love terrorist Paresh Barua of ULFA so much? What is the special relationship between Chinese & Barua? What is the special relationship between China & ULFA? What is common between these anti-Indian forces? Bengalis know bcoz we fought British, ULFA didn’t.”

Chaolung Sukaphaa, also called Siu-Ka-Pha, the first Ahom king in medieval Assam, was the founder of the Ahom kingdom and the kingdom existed nearly 600 years.

In remembrance the glorious contributions of Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha, the Assam government celebrates ‘Assam Divas’ on December 2 every year.

Following the controversial statements made by Garga Chatterjee, an Assam youth Bhaskar Gogoi had complained Garga Chatterjee and alleged that he called Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha as Chinese invader and tried to malign the Assam state BJP with banned outfit ULFA.

On the other hand, following the direction of the Assam Chief Minister a three-member team led by DCP (Crime) Barun Purkayastha has been ordered by Guwahati Commissioner of Police to leave for Kolkata tonight.

A case related to this has been registered in the Crime Branch of Assam Police against Garga Chatterjee along with four other such cases for making provocative statements.