Assam Assembly witnesses unprecedented chaos and walkouts

Guwahati, March 21: The session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed a stormy affair marked by adjournments, suspensions, and heated exchanges. The House was adjourned three times — twice for 10 minutes and once for 5 minutes.

"Please do not interrupt. I will break your microphone":

As discussions on the construction and concretization of roads and bridges in the state commenced, tensions escalated when Moriani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi responded aggressively to an interruption from Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi.

While speaking about the government's efforts to improve connectivity and ensure all-round development, Kurmi emphasized the administration's commitment to uplifting minority communities. However, when Akhil Gogoi interrupted, a visibly infuriated Kurmi retorted, “I will not let you speak. Akhil Gogoi, please stay quiet. I will break your microphone. Please do not interrupt or speak in between.”

The Opposition condemned Kurmi's conduct, and a heated confrontation followed. Deputy Chairperson Numal Momin issued a warning to Kurmi and adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

In protest of the "lenient" warning, Akhil Gogoi staged a 10-minute walkout from the Assembly. Addressing the media later, Baghbar MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed stated, “Kurmi said he would break the microphones of the Leader of Opposition and Akhil Gogoi. When I condemned such words, he came to attack me and used unparliamentary words like ‘stupid.’”

Ahmed demanded Kurmi’s suspension from the Assembly for the entire year, expressing concern about the direction of the Assembly’s conduct. Akhil Gogoi termed the incident a "black day" in the history of the Assam Legislative Assembly and criticized the Deputy Chair's handling of the situation. He urged the Chief Minister to take action against Kurmi.

Kurmi later apologized for his behavior, stating, “I have accepted my mistake and sought forgiveness twice for using unparliamentary words and for approaching the Opposition. However, Sherman Ali also used inappropriate words like ‘shit’ and did not apologize.”

He added that while he is dedicated to serving his constituency, Moriani, and Assam, he would not tolerate humiliation.

Lok Sabha Constituency or Mini Bangladesh:

Earlier in the day, the Opposition raised the issue of Dhubri being referred to as “mini Bangladesh” in the Rajya Sabha by MP Sudhanshu Trivedi. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia expressed his displeasure, questioning whether the Assam Legislative Assembly would condemn Trivedi's remarks.

AIUDF legislator Hafiz Rafiqul Islam criticized the government's silence, stating, “Is Dhubri, with a population of 40 lakhs and a history of freedom fighters, no longer a part of Assam and India? The Assam government must clarify its stance.”

Islam also demanded an apology from Sudhanshu Trivedi for his comments, labeling them disrespectful to the people of Dhubri and Assam.

Bills Tabled:

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary introduced the Assam Cattle Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2025. State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu tabled several other Bills, including:

• Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• Kokrajhar University (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• Assam Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025
• Edtech Skills University Bill, 2025
• Swami Vivekananda University Bill, 2025
• The Assam Coaching Institutes Control and Regulation Bill, 2025