“Completely Unacceptable Under Any Circumstances” Says CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on social media has apologised to a patient and their family after an ambulance was stopped while his convoy passed through Silchar on Wednesday, September 30.

In a statement shared on social media, Sarma said the ambulance was stopped because of his convoy and described the incident as “completely unacceptable under any circumstances”.

“I sincerely apologise to the patient and their family members for this incident,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma said the movement of a Chief Minister’s convoy should never take precedence over the life of a patient requiring emergency medical care.

He said his instructions were clear that the movement of ordinary citizens and emergency services must not be disrupted in any way because of the Chief Minister’s convoy.

The Chief Minister also said he had instructed the concerned officials to investigate the entire incident and take strict action against those responsible.

Sarma further said that all instructions issued regarding the movement of his convoy must be followed “completely and strictly”.

“If anyone violates these instructions, severe action will be taken,” he said.

The statement came after a video of an ambulance waiting as Sarma’s convoy passed through the Ramnagar ISBT area of Silchar drew attention on social media.

Earlier, Cachar SSP Partha Pratim Das had told Barak Bulletin that the ambulance was empty and that the driver had given permission for the convoy to pass. Police later shared a video statement from the ambulance driver, Pilot Ali Abdul Laskar.

The matter subsequently took a different turn, with four Cachar Police personnel being suspended pending a departmental enquiry into alleged negligence in traffic duty during the Chief Minister’s convoy movement.

The suspension order named SI Bijoy Goswami, SI Sibsankar Das, LNK(UB)/476 Jahurul Islam and LNK(UB)/976 Kawsar Ahmed Barbhuiya.

Cachar SSP later confirmed that the ambulance’s emergency lights were flashing and its siren was on. He said that after personally speaking with the driver, it became clear that there had been “some obstruction to services that might have caused public inconvenience”. The development came alongside Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement that emergency services must not be disrupted for his convoy and that strict action would be taken against those responsible.