'Rupjyoti Kurmi' Should Be Barred For The Year; Opposition Seeks Action

A heated confrontation erupted in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders after BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi allegedly attempted to attack fellow legislators. The unprecedented incident has sparked outrage, with opposition members condemning both Kurmi’s actions and Deputy Speaker Numal Momin’s response, which they deemed inadequate. Expressing their dismay, leaders stressed the need for disciplinary action to uphold the dignity of the Assembly and ensure constructive discussions. 

Here’s what they had to say:

Manoranjan Talukdar, Assam MLA - “We have witnessed such unprecedented incidents on assembly floors in various parts of the country. However, this is the first time an attempt to attack legislators has occurred in the Assam Assembly. There are no words strong enough to condemn this act. What is even more concerning is that the Deputy Speaker did not take any strict action and merely issued a minor warning. We believe that Rupjyoti Kurmi should have been suspended from the upcoming assembly sessions. Instead, the incident has been normalized, setting a dangerous precedent.”

Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly - "Today, we witnessed an unprecedented incident inside the Assam Assembly. Rupjyoti Kurmi’s attempt to physically attack opposition leaders is something never seen before. We cannot recall any such heinous act in the history of the Assembly. Political agendas are being pushed in the name of Dhodar Ali. We want meaningful discussions in the House, not chaos and violence."

Sherman Ali, Baghbar MLA - "I have been a member of the Assam Assembly for 15 years, but I have never seen such scenes before. Our House proceedings should set an example for other states, and not be marred by violence. It was disheartening to hear Rupjyoti Kurmi use derogatory terms like ‘stupid’ to refer to us. Given the gravity of his actions, we demand that he be barred from entering the Assembly for the entire year."