Intense Debate Marks Opening of Assam Legislative Assembly Budget Session
Heated Discussions in the Assam Assembly
Raijor Dal MLAs Akhil Gogoi & Mehboob Mukhtar stage a protest on the first day of the Budget session, in Guwahati on Monday. (Photo:PTI)
Guwahati, July 6: The Budget Session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday, featuring a vigorous exchange during the Question Hour between opposition MLA Akhil Gogoi and Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika regarding the Assam Police's handling of FIR registrations.
The inquiry was initially directed at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who oversees the Home portfolio, but was addressed by Hazarika in the Chief Minister's absence, as Sarma is currently in New Delhi and is anticipated to return on Tuesday morning.
The confrontation arose when Gogoi, representing Sivasagar, expressed concerns about the alleged failure to register FIRs despite numerous complaints lodged at police stations statewide.
Gogoi accused the government of intentionally minimizing FIR registration numbers to present a misleadingly low crime rate in official statistics.
"The government is manipulating figures to ensure fewer cases are reported in the National Crime Records Bureau data. The responses to my inquiries have been minimal and unsatisfactory," Gogoi stated during the session.
He requested comprehensive data from the government, including the number of General Diary entries recorded at Assam police stations from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, the number of cases that underwent preliminary inquiries, how many were converted into FIRs, those involving medical examinations, and the annual discrepancy between GD entries and FIR registrations.
Gogoi claimed that both the Chief Minister and Hazarika were evading his questions, a statement that prompted strong objections from the ruling party members.
In response, Hazarika highlighted the 32 cases registered against Gogoi across various police stations in Assam.
"Akhil Gogoi has 32 cases against him, yet he insists they are all fabricated," the minister remarked, also questioning the accuracy of Gogoi's election disclosures.
"According to official records, Gogoi has 32 cases registered, but he only disclosed 21 in his election affidavit. This discrepancy will be addressed legally," Hazarika added.
As the debate escalated, Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass intervened, instructing that Gogoi's remarks implying the Chief Minister was avoiding questions be removed from the Assembly records.
"We retract those claims from the Assembly proceedings. The Chief Minister's absence is due to various parliamentary and official commitments," the Speaker noted.
Clarifying the government's stance, Hazarika explained that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita permits police officers to conduct preliminary assessments of complaints deemed non-cognisable or potentially malicious.
"Many individuals file false complaints to harass innocent people. Therefore, under the BNS, if a police officer suspects a complaint is non-cognisable or malicious, they must obtain permission from the DSP before proceeding with any inquiry," he stated, adding that a preliminary inquiry is typically completed within 14 days of DSP approval, with an FIR filed only if a cognisable offence is confirmed.
Hazarika also distinguished between GD entries and FIRs, emphasizing that every incident is logged in the GD within 24 hours of reporting, although not every entry results in an FIR, and the entire process has now been digitized.
He advised complainants who feel their cases have been unjustly overlooked to approach the Superintendent of Police or seek legal recourse through the courts.
This exchange set a confrontational tone for the opening day of the Budget Session, with opposition members demanding accountability from the government during the initial Question Hour of the sitting.