A three-member team of Assam Police led by DCP (Crime) Barun Purkayastha reached Kolkata on Saturday to arrest Kolkata-based political commentator Garga Chatterjee for allegedly insulting the first Ahom king Chaolung Sukapha.
Meanwhile, Bangla Pokkho, Chatterjee's organisation, claimed he was being targeted for standing up for Bengalis in Assam. In support of Garga Chatterjee, the members of the organisation are holding demonstrations in Kolkata. They termed Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as 'Anti-Bengali' and put up posters against Assam Police.
As per reports, Kolkata Police is not cooperating with Assam Police to arrest and bring Garga Chatterjee of West Bengal to Assam.
It is because we fight for the Bengalis in Assam that he is being targeted. We are holding talks with our lawyer, and soon we will approach the High Court in Assam for anticipatory bail. If Assam Police think they can come to Bengal and arrest him, they are wrong," Kaushik Maiti, a member of Bangla Pokkho, told media.
"We fear this is a plot to physically harm or even kill Garga Chatterjee for speaking on rights of Bengalis in Assam," said Maiti.
"The police will first have to serve a notice and call my client for interrogation. My client says it is his freedom of speech which was reflected in social media. We will also seek anticipatory bail," said advocate Biplab Goswami, Chatterjee's lawyer.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed Guwahati Police Commissioner to arrest and bring Garga Chatterjee of West Bengal to Assam for posting offensive remarks on social media about Swargadeo Chaolung Sukaphaa and Ahom community.
