Police complaint against Dilip Paul; Leader of opposition writes to CM urging him to take actions

Silchar MLA’s comments published in a local broadsheet has sparked a controversy. BJP’s Dilip Paul while speaking with journalists slammed the people who had attended the meeting organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, Delhi. The meeting has emerged as a viral vector and out 27 Covid19 positive cases in Assam, 26 are linked with the meeting.

Paul’s quotes were reported by the largest Bengali broadsheet in the region and that irked many. Debabrata Saikia, leader of opposition, Assam Legislative Assembly wrote to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal urging him to take immediate actions against the MLA. “I am constraint to draw your attention to a report published in a Bengali newspaper on Sunday which quoted some rank communal remarks made by Dilip Paul, honorable MLA from the Silchar Legislative Assembly Constituency,” writes Saikia in his letter.

He adds, “According to the newspaper report, Shri Paul not only refers to those who attended the Markaz at Nizamuddin in Delhi as descendants of Taimur Lang and Nadir Shah but also stated that these animals in human form should be shot dead.”

Saikia in his letter to the chief minister alleges that Dilip Paul is a repeat offender. “Back in 2016, when he was the deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly, Shri Paul had made derogatory remarks about Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. I had then appraised the Honorable prime minister of Shri Paul’s misdemeanor vide a letter dated 12 December 2016 and sought action against the culprit. However, no action was forthcoming and that seems to have emboldened Shri Paul no end.”

“I will not be out of place to mention that the national president of the BJP Shri JP Nadda has already instructed all party cadres not to make communal comments regarding the Nizamuddin Markaz and its fallout. It is now evident that Shri Paul has scant regard even for his party’s national president,” alleged Saikia.

He concluded, “As such, I request you to instruct the police to register a case against Shri Paul and prosecute him as per laws of the land, which will act as a deterrent to other prospective offenders as well.

Not only the letter, Taibur Rahman Choudhury, a Karigorah resident, has lodged a police complaint at a local police outpost. In his complaint, Rahman alleged that MLA Dilip Paul is provoking Hindus to murder Muslims through his comments. He complained that such comments can disturb peace and harmony and result in communal tension which is why the Police must take immediate action.

Dilip Paul is a high profile politician and the former deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly. It remains to be seen how the party and the leader deal with the current scenario.