Assam Congress Suspends MLA, Was Arrested for Remark on 1983 Agitation

Multiple FIRs have been filed against Ahmed for his comments on the nearly 40-year-old agitation.

Sherman Ali Ahmed. Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: Facebook/Sherman Ali Ahmed)

The Assam Congress suspended MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed on Monday, 4 October, days after he was arrested for making provocative statements related to the killing of eight people during the Assamese agitation in Darrang district in 1983.

Congress said that it has suspended Ahmed with immediate effect for repeatedly violating party discipline.

The three-time MLA from Baghbar had earlier been served a show-cause notice by Congress for his statements on the 40-year-old agitation. The eight people who had been killed are seen as martyrs of the Assamese agitation.

However, Ahmed called them "murderers", while reacting to reports, which claimed that the alleged encroachers in Darrang disrespected the memory of those who died during the 1983 Assam agitation.

Last month, on 20 September, nearly 800 families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, were evicted from 4,500 bighas of land that the government wants for an agricultural project.

Three days later, when locals protested against the eviction drive, the protest culminated into violence resulting in two deaths, including a 12-year-old boy. The violence also led to nine policemen being injured.

Multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against Ahmed for his comments.

The Assam Congress, in the show-cause notice, has accused Ahmed of making "politically motivated" statements "with the intention of damaging the party's image" ahead of the bypolls in the state, NDTV reported.

It also said that there are allegations within and outside the party that Ahmed is acting as an "agent of the BJP", and is making such statements due to his closeness to the chief minister, in order to cause harm to the Congress.

(With inputs from NDTV)