Ambulance Gate: Video Sparks Buzz, Cachar Police Responds Within an Hour

An ambulance was halted briefly as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s convoy passed through Silchar on Wednesday (September 30), with a video of the incident receiving significant traction on social media and prompting reactions from several people.

The incident took place at the Ramnagar ISBT point, where police were regulating traffic during the movement of the Chief Minister’s convoy. Sarma was in Silchar for a one-day programme, including a poll-related public meeting.

A video recorded by a person present at the spot, showed the ambulance waiting while the Chief Minister’s convoy passed through the area.

After the video came to light, Barak Bulletin shared it on social media. The post received traction and led to several reactions, with the incident sparking an online discussion about ambulances being stopped during VIP convoy movements.

Within an hour of Barak Bulletin sharing the video, Cachar SSP Partha Pratim Das contacted Barak Bulletin after taking reports about the incident. The SSP informed Barak Bulletin that the ambulance was empty and that the driver had given permission for the convoy to pass.

A video statement of the ambulance driver, identified as Pilot Ali Abdul Laskar, was later shared by the police. In the video, Laskar said he was driving the ambulance when the Chief Minister’s convoy arrived. He said the police staff asked him to go ahead, but he stayed at the spot for around a minute before proceeding.

The driver’s statement does not explicitly mention whether the ambulance was empty or whether he was travelling for an emergency. His account, as seen in the video, focuses on the brief halt and his decision to remain at the spot for about a minute after being asked to go.

The follow-up information from the police therefore provides additional context to the original video. While the SSP said the ambulance was empty and that the driver had given permission for the convoy to pass, the driver’s own video statement does not independently address either of those points.

The incident has also brought back memories of an earlier incident in Nagaon in January 2022, when vehicles, including stranded commuters, were stopped to allow Sarma’s convoy to pass through a traffic jam on National Highway 37.

At the time, visibly annoyed by the situation, Sarma publicly questioned the then Nagaon District Commissioner, asking, “Kya koi raja-maharaja aa raha hai?” He also stressed that VIP culture should not inconvenience the public.

The Silchar incident has now triggered renewed discussion online about convoy movement and traffic management. The available accounts establish that the ambulance waited briefly as the Chief Minister’s convoy passed, while the police have stated that it was empty and that the driver had permitted the convoy to proceed.