A political firestorm has erupted in Assam as an FIR has been filed against BJP legislator Mrinal Saikia in Barpeta, stemming from his alleged derogatory remarks targeting the population of Lower Assam. The incident has ignited widespread debate and garnered mixed reactions across the state, shedding light on the delicate balance between political discourse and regional sensitivities.
In response to the allegations, Mrinal Saikia dismissed the uproar as a "paid controversy" orchestrated by certain factions within society. "Yes I have seen the controversy; I would call it a paid controversy. A section of people have started this conspiracy against me. I have just said that resources are more in upper Assam including Golaghat district.” “My comments had been taken out of context, I had merely highlighted the resources present in the Golaghat region.”, Saikia added.
Saikia lamented the selective circulation of his remarks, emphasizing that the full context of his interview was not considered.
"I have said many things in the full interview, but certain people have cut off just one part and have been circulating it everywhere... the people who have watched the entire interview would understand what I really said.", Mrinal added.
He further stated that “all these controversies involving me began with me congratulating Gaurav Gogoi for his electoral victory”.
Interestingly, this also followed a minor tweak to his X account where instead of the customary 'Modi Ka Parivar' tag that every BJP leader, worker, and supporter seems to follow, Saikia added 'From Upper Assam' next to his name.
On being questioned regarding this, the Khumtai MLA remarked, "Yesterday, I viewed this as a challenge. Golaghat, my residence, lies in Upper Assam. Why shouldn't I mention that on social media platforms? How can one describe Golaghat and its location without specifying its region? Hence, I referred to it as Upper Assam. I harbor no ill feelings towards the people of Lower Assam. I have a large circle of friends from Lower Assam, just as I do from Upper Assam. My intention was solely to highlight the resources available in Upper Assam, without any intention of differentiation between Upper and Lower Assam. If anyone is attempting to stir up controversy, I am not concerned about them. However, to those who may have misunderstood my words, I apologize if I have caused any offense."
It may be noted that the FIR was filed by members of Veer Lachit Sena, known for their hypernationalistic sentiments, at Barpeta's Sarbhog Police Station. The complainants further demanded the arrest of Saikia within 24 hours. The organization condemned the derogatory comments made by him targeting the population of the Lower Assam region.
