Congress meeting turns violent in Assam’s Sribhumi, leader injured
Guwahati: A Congress official was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon by a fellow party member at a restaurant in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Monday evening, police and party sources said.
The injured leader has been identified as 35-year-old Zillur Choudhary, a district council member from the Umarpur area. He suffered injuries to his arm and chest in the incident. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. in the Nilambazar area. Sribhumi District Congress President Tapash Purkayastha said he was first taken to Sribhumi Civil Hospital and later referred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
Police said they are searching for the main accused, Shahnaz Hussain, a local Congress leader who allegedly sought a party ticket in the state elections later this year.
Sources said the incident occurred earlier in the day after a Congress organizational meeting in Neelambazar, attended by All India Congress Committee Secretary Vikas Upadhyay, Sreebhumi Observer Nasir Khan, and several district-level officials. After the meeting, the party leaders reportedly went to a nearby restaurant for tea, where the altercation broke out.
Meanwhile, Purkayastha dismissed reports that the attack occurred during the meeting. He said, “This incident did not occur during the meeting. We strongly condemn what happened. It appears to be a personal matter between the two individuals, and the party will take appropriate action.”
During the altercation, Shahnaz Hussain, a potential Congress candidate from North Karimganj, allegedly attacked Chaudhary with a sharp-edged weapon, causing chaos at the scene.
Doctors at Sreebhumi Civil Hospital later referred the injured leader to Silchar Medical College and Hospital due to the severity of his injuries. The motive behind the attack is not yet known, and authorities have not yet issued an official statement. The incident has unnerved Congress leaders in the district and renewed concerns about internal strife within the party. This was the second reported incident of violence in the presence of Nasir Khan, who currently serves as the party’s observer for Sribhumi.
