Former deputy speaker of Assam, Dilip Paul lodges FIR against BJP workers for dragging him in Bethukandi incident

Cachar BJP was caught off-guard when Raju Deb was arrested by the Police for his alleged role in the damage of Bethukandi embankment that has been identified as the primary reason behind unprecedented deluge in Silchar. Raju Deb has always been a BJP and right-wing man. In fact, he was once the official nominee of a BJP MLA. The breach of the embankment has posed immense questions on the administration and the ruling dispensation. Why wasn’t it fixed in a timely manner, the general public started questioning.

Many in the BJP intended to provoke the sentiment that Muslims were behind the breach and top leaders were among those, who publicly peddled the sentiment. The first four individuals arrested were all Muslims and so, Raju Deb’s arrest, doused the fire. Soon after that, it was confirmed that Deb has been arrested, and images of Deb with the MP of Silchar, Rajdeep Roy started going viral.

To counter that narrative, the BJP workers started reminding people about Deb’s relationship with former MLA Dilip Paul. Paul, two-time Silchar MLA, also the Deputy Speaker of Assam Legislative did not get the ticket from the party to contest in 2021 and so, he went ahead to field himself as an independent candidate. He was defeated miserably in the election and since then, he had no presence in the Public life.

One individual who identifies himself as Jayanta Chakraborty, “Prabhari Katigorah at BJP Cachar, DISTRICT EXECUTIVE MEMBER at BJP Cachar and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha State Vice President at BJP Assam Pradesh” on Facebook questioned, if it was Dilip Paul who orchestrated the embankment-breach that forced Silchar to an unprecedented deluge. It is worth mentioning here that Paul’s house in Ambicapatty too was inundated.

Today, Former MLA and Deputy Speaker of Assam went and lodged an FIR at Silchar Sadar Police Station against Chakraborty and others who have commented against him on the same post. “The accused no 1 (Jayanta Chakraborty) in order to malign my character and reputation has made a false post from his Facebook Account alleging that the arrested accused Raju Deb is my close associate and raising a question whether I have instructed for cutting of the dyke knowing fully well that I am no way involved in the aforesaid activity and therefore by written imputations circulated from his Facebook account Chakraborty” portraying himself to be prabhari of Katigorah BJP district Executive Member of BJP Cachar, Vice- President of BJP Assam Parades Yuva Morcha and ex-state Secretary of Assam Pradesh BJP Yuva Morcha etc.”

Apart from Chakraborty, in the FIR, Paul has accused, Krishanu Das, PK Ghosh, Rupam Dey, Ashok Purkayastha, Vishal Basak, Samrat Choudhury, Sumona Das and Shatanu Roy.

Paul said that he was compelled to lodge the FIR “for the sake of his self respect. As the honourable chief minister has already mentioned that CID Assam Police will investigate the matter and so, I believe and want an absolute disclosure of the chain of events leading to the breach of the Bethukandi embankment. I am of the opinion that if one does not have the self respect, there remains no purpose in life. That is why I have filed the FIR and hope there will be an investigation to prove they have maligned my character and reputation.”

The BJP workers, by alleging Paul’s involvement has put CM’s handshake also under scanner. During his first visit to Silchar post deluge, CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said “The government has got a few names and have a sense of who are behind the breach of embankment.” During his third visit to Silchar within 10 days, he saw Dilip Paul at Public School Road. Respecting the former colleague in Assembly, Sarma shook hands with Paul and exchanged a few words. If Paul was the mastermind of the dyke-breach, would Sarma say such a pleasant hello?