mob bashed up woman mla rumi nath 3 days after assam minister s fiery speech

Guwahati, Jul 5: Congress MLA Rumi Nath, who left her Hindu husband to marry her Facebook friend Jackie Zakir on April 13, became the target of a mob on June 29, three days after a Congress minister Gautam Roy made a fiery speech attacking conversion of women to Islam, Mail Today reported.









On June 26, at a public meeting at Hailakandi in Barak Valley, Assam's public health engineering minister Gautam Roy had said: “Why should young Hindu girls marry Muslim boys? Is there any dearth of grooms in their own religion? Any young boy or girl, who marries outside the religion, must be boycotted by their village and should be bashed up.”



Three days later, around 9.30pm, a mob of about 100 people barged into Nakshatra Hotel in Karimganj district, where Rumi and Zakir were staying, and thrashed the couple.



Rumi's bodyguards fled the place and police team reached the spot almost an hour late. TV cameras clearly showed there was an attempt to strip Rumi, who is reportedly pregnant.



She was slapped and kicked in her face and abdomen.



Roy claimed his statement was twisted by the media. He condemned the attack but added that it was only a reflection of public sentiment.



“Nath's two- year- old daughter has been crying for her mother. But she is spending nights in hotels with another man. People don't expect such things from an MLA,” he said.



Rumi represents Barkhola constituency in Cachar, an important district in Barak valley.



Gautam Roy however blames another minister for border development and his arch-rival Siddique Ahmed for the attack.



The mob attack has exposed the secular credentials of the two senior Congress leaders in Assam.



Although denying their roles in the attack, the two state ministershave not hidden their displeasure over the marriage.



While Ahmed claimed that Roy was close to Zakir, Roy said it was Ahmed who facilitated the conversion and wedding.



“ If Zakir had come to me for help, I would have broken his leg. I don't encourage such things,” Roy said.



Rumi and Zakir said, Ahmed had helped them in getting married, but the minister vehemently denied any role in the union.



Interestingly, Ahmed was present in Karimganj on June 28, the day Nath and Zakir were attacked.





“I have no role in this attack. Please don't drag my name into it. I had already left Karimganj by the time the attack happened,” said Ahmed who represents Karimganj South constituency.



The comments made by the two leaders certainly had an impact on the mob which decided to “ teach Rumi a lesson”.



“ I won't comment if these two ministers are involved in the attack but their comments on my second marriage have definitely created trouble for me,” Rumi Nath said.







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