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Mob attack on MLA Rumee Nath exposes secular credentials of Congress leaders in Assam
The mob attack on Congress MLA Rumi Nath, allegedly for marrying a man from another religion, has exposed the secular credentials of senior Congress leaders in Assam.
Although denying their role in the attack, carried out on the night of June 29, two state ministers - Gautam Roy and Siddique Ahmed - have not hidden their displeasure over the marriage.
Rumi's conversion to Islam to marry her Facebook friend Jackie Zakir on April 13 triggered communal tension in the Barak Valley. Rumee represents Barkhola constituency in Cachar, an important district in the valley.
The tension flared up on June 29 when Nath and her husband were beaten up by a mob allegedly on the provocation of Roy, Assam's public health engineering minister.
Roy, however, blamed Ahmed, the minister of state for border development, for Rumi's conversion to Islam and the subsequent attack.
Roy and his arch-rival Ahmed have been trading charges over each other's role in Nath's marriage. While Ahmed claimed that Roy was close to Zakir, Roy said it was Ahmed who facilitated the conversion and wedding. "If Zakir had come to me for help, I would have broken his leg. I don't encourage such things," Roy said.
Rumi and Zakir said Ahmed had helped them in getting married but the minister vehemently denied any role in the union. Interestingly, Ahmed was present in Karimganj on June 28, the day Nath and Zakir were attacked. "I have no role in this attack. Please don't drag my name into it. I had already left Karimganj by the time the attack happened," said Ahmed who represents the Karimganj South constituency.
The comments made by the two leaders certainly had an impact on the mob which decided to "teach Rumee a lesson". "I won't comment if these two ministers are involved in the attack but their comments on my second marriage have definitely created trouble for me," Rumi said.
On June 26, at a public meeting at Hailakandi in Barak Valley, Roy had said: "Why should young Hindu girls marry Muslim boys? Is there any dearth of grooms in their own religion? Any young boy or girl, who marries outside the religion, must be boycotted by their village and should be bashed up."
Three days later, around 9.30pm, a mob of about 100 people barged into Nakshatra Hotel in Karimganj district, where Rumi and Zakir were staying, and thrashed the couple.
Rumi's bodyguards fled the place and police team reached the spot almost an hour late. TV cameras clearly showed there was an attempt to strip Rumee, who is reportedly pregnant. She was slapped and kicked in her face and abdomen.
Roy claimed his statement was twisted by the media. He condemned the attack but added that it was only a reflection of public sentiment. "Nath's two-year-old daughter has been crying for her mother. But she is spending nights in hotels with another man. People don't expect such things from an MLA," he said.
Mob attack on MLA Rumee Nath exposes secular credentials of Congress leaders in Assam : Northeast, News - India Today
The mob attack on Congress MLA Rumi Nath, allegedly for marrying a man from another religion, has exposed the secular credentials of senior Congress leaders in Assam.
Although denying their role in the attack, carried out on the night of June 29, two state ministers - Gautam Roy and Siddique Ahmed - have not hidden their displeasure over the marriage.
Rumi's conversion to Islam to marry her Facebook friend Jackie Zakir on April 13 triggered communal tension in the Barak Valley. Rumee represents Barkhola constituency in Cachar, an important district in the valley.
The tension flared up on June 29 when Nath and her husband were beaten up by a mob allegedly on the provocation of Roy, Assam's public health engineering minister.
Roy, however, blamed Ahmed, the minister of state for border development, for Rumi's conversion to Islam and the subsequent attack.
Roy and his arch-rival Ahmed have been trading charges over each other's role in Nath's marriage. While Ahmed claimed that Roy was close to Zakir, Roy said it was Ahmed who facilitated the conversion and wedding. "If Zakir had come to me for help, I would have broken his leg. I don't encourage such things," Roy said.
Rumi and Zakir said Ahmed had helped them in getting married but the minister vehemently denied any role in the union. Interestingly, Ahmed was present in Karimganj on June 28, the day Nath and Zakir were attacked. "I have no role in this attack. Please don't drag my name into it. I had already left Karimganj by the time the attack happened," said Ahmed who represents the Karimganj South constituency.
The comments made by the two leaders certainly had an impact on the mob which decided to "teach Rumee a lesson". "I won't comment if these two ministers are involved in the attack but their comments on my second marriage have definitely created trouble for me," Rumi said.
On June 26, at a public meeting at Hailakandi in Barak Valley, Roy had said: "Why should young Hindu girls marry Muslim boys? Is there any dearth of grooms in their own religion? Any young boy or girl, who marries outside the religion, must be boycotted by their village and should be bashed up."
Three days later, around 9.30pm, a mob of about 100 people barged into Nakshatra Hotel in Karimganj district, where Rumi and Zakir were staying, and thrashed the couple.
Rumi's bodyguards fled the place and police team reached the spot almost an hour late. TV cameras clearly showed there was an attempt to strip Rumee, who is reportedly pregnant. She was slapped and kicked in her face and abdomen.
Roy claimed his statement was twisted by the media. He condemned the attack but added that it was only a reflection of public sentiment. "Nath's two-year-old daughter has been crying for her mother. But she is spending nights in hotels with another man. People don't expect such things from an MLA," he said.
Mob attack on MLA Rumee Nath exposes secular credentials of Congress leaders in Assam : Northeast, News - India Today
