Eighteen Opposition parties in Assam, led by the Congress, lodged a joint complaint with the city police here on Wednesday to register a case against chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his co-conspirators for “trying to promote enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion and race”.

The complaint comes a day after the 18-party United Opposition Forum, Assam, met on the unfolding situation in the state, triggered by the “gangrape” case in Dhing on August 22 and the subsequent call by indigenous organisations to issue a seven-day deadline to members of the Miya Muslim community to leave Upper Assam as the three accused belonged to the community.

The Opposition’s police complaint, seeking registration of the case against the accused person (Sarma) and his co-conspirators under section 61, 196 and 35(2) of the Bharatia Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and investigation, refers to the Dhing gangrape case and subsequent anger sweeping the state.

“Taking advantage of such heinous act the accused person is trying to whip up communal frenzy by targeting a particular community, which had led to attack on some people belonging to religious minority in Sivasage by BJP workers and leaders,” the complaint said.

“In one such incident one Mayur Borgohain, the defeated candidate from Nazira LAC in 2021 Assembly physically assaulted some labourers working under him. This has been done as a part of conspiracy to create a riot-like situation in the state and the accused named Himanta Biswa Sarma and other BJP leaders are part of the criminal conspiracy to create such unrest,” the complaint alleged.

Leader of Opposition Saikia had raised the Borgohain issue in the state Assembly on Tuesday, and had also written to Charaideo SP to take “immediate step so that the
victims get justice and no blame is put on those various organisation and the action taken is informed to the undersigned.”

The assaulted workers had filed a zero FIR in Barpeta on August 26, accusing the contractor of being behind the attack.

Borgohain, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2021 poll against Debabrata Saikia, told The Telegraph he will respond to the allegations at press meet very soon.

Chief minister Sarma, who is heading the BJP-led state government since 2021, had on Tuesday asserted in the state Assembly that he won’t allow the Miya Muslims to “take over” Assam and that he won’t be able to “provide” security to them if they go to Upper Assam against the wishes of the local Assamese people, his views aligning with the sentiments of the organisations who had issued a deadline.