Guwahati, Mar 5: A ruckus broke out in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Wednesday as the ruling BJP and opposition parties clashed over the use of controversial terms, leading to the adjournment of the House for a brief period.
The tension began when Baghbor MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, who was suspended from Congress, raised an issue regarding the sub-divisional agricultural office in Alopati, Barpeta district, during Question Hour. Ahmed criticized the “misleading replies” from officials and used a term that BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi immediately objected to. Speaker Biswajit Daimary expunged the term.
After the Question Hour, Kurmi raised the issue again, questioning whether Ahmed’s statement was influenced by his community background. During his remarks, Kurmi used a derogatory term referring to Bengali-speaking Muslims, triggering a strong protest from opposition members, including Congress, AIUDF, CPI(M), and Raijor Dal. The opposition demanded an apology from Kurmi.
Despite the Speaker expunging the term, opposition MLAs continued their protest. Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia condemned the racial slur, urging action. The situation escalated, prompting Deputy Speaker Numal Momin to expunge all references to the controversial terms, which finally brought the House to order after a 15-minute adjournment.
