Assam Assembly Row: Numal Momin Files FIR Against Nurul Huda

The Assam Assembly on Monday witnessed dramatic and chaotic scenes as Deputy Speaker Numal Momin accused Congress MLA Nurul Huda of physically assaulting him outside his chamber. The incident led to a heated exchange between ruling and opposition members, escalating political tensions in the state.

Momin filed an FIR at Dispur Police Station against Huda, alleging that the Congress leader had forcefully grabbed his hand, causing him injury. Accompanied by several ruling party MLAs, Momin reiterated his demand for strict action against the accused. "The Congress party has no faith in the sacred Assembly. That is why they wanted to hijack the Speaker and Deputy Speaker," Momin remarked, taking a dig at the opposition.

It may be mentioned that, opposition Congress MLAs staged a protest against BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, who had allegedly used abusive language and attempted to physically attack opposition members inside the House last week. Congress legislators attended the session wearing black clothes in protest and held a sit-in demonstration outside the Speaker's chamber, demanding action against Kurmi.

The AIUDF MLAs also took a unique approach to protest, bringing bamboo barricades into the Assembly as a symbolic act of self-protection. They argued that MLAs needed safeguards following Kurmi’s aggressive behavior on Friday.

Chief Minister’s Response

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, "I received a WhatsApp message from Momin that he was attacked by Nurul Huda and is now hospitalized. Since the incident took place outside the House, I request the Speaker to lodge a police case, allowing the police to investigate."

Momin, addressing the Assembly, stated, "There is an injury in one of my hands. I request the Speaker to initiate an investigation." He also urged the Speaker to conduct a departmental inquiry into the matter.

In response, Speaker Biswajit Daimary announced that an official inquiry had been initiated. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, however, argued that a House Committee should investigate the matter instead of the police, as the incident reportedly occurred within the Assembly premises.

Controversy Over CCTV Footage

Earlier in the day, the Congress Legislative Party formally demanded the unedited public release of CCTV footage from inside the Assam Legislative Assembly, following the controversial incident involving BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi on March 21, 2025.

In response, Deputy Speaker Numal Momin stated that the Assembly had declined to release the footage, citing security concerns. He clarified that the police would collect and examine the footage instead. "For security reasons, the CCTV footage will not be made public," Momin said.

When questioned by journalists about his gesture of shaking hands while speaking in the House despite claiming an injury, Momin responded, "Are you questioning me like an investigator?"

The ruling BJP launched a counterattack, with tensions escalating inside the House. "This will set a bad precedent that an indigenous tribal leader has been attacked within the Assembly complex. This is going to be a major issue," said the Chief Minister, as the House was temporarily adjourned for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, ruling BJP leadership had earlier instructed Rupjyoti Kurmi to issue a public apology for his aggressive behavior in the Assembly last week. Kurmi was involved in a heated verbal spat with Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi and was accused of hurling abuses at an AIUDF MLA outside the House.

The BJP’s Assam unit president Dilip Saikia, in a strongly worded letter to Kurmi, expressed disappointment over his actions and described his behavior as "against the traditions of the Assembly." The letter emphasized the BJP’s values of discipline and restraint, asserting that such conduct goes against the party’s principles of patience and ideological integrity.

Kurmi, who left Congress in 2021 to join the BJP, now finds himself in the center of a political storm, as tensions in the Assam Assembly continue to rise.