Kolkata-based commentator Garga Chatterjee, who describes himself as a 'Bengali nationalist', is in a soup for allegedly insulting Sukapha, the first 'Ahom' king of Assam.
Media reports on Friday said Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the Assam Police to leave for Kolkata to arrest Chatterjee.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Chatterjee questioned Sonowal for celebrating Asom Day, which honours legacy of Sukapha. A police complaint on the tweet was filed on Thursday and alleges Chatterjee "indirectly targeted" the Ahom community as well as the greater Assamese society with “blatant accusation of being Chinese invaders”.
The complaint alleged the tweets by Chatterjee might lead to targeting of Assamese people in the rest of India given the public sentiment against China.
Chatterjee had tweeted, "Why does @sarbanandsonwal regularly celebrate a Chinese invader and his invading army? Why does banned separatist group ULFA also celebrate the Chinese invader? Do real Indians know that Indian tax money is being used by BJP in Assam to put up statues of a Chinese invader?”
Chatterjee had been in the news for his outspoken views on non-Bengalis. On June 14, Chatterjee had called for expelling illegal Nepalis, alleging “Nepal wanted to conquer parts of India”.
Chatterjee, who has been a supporter of the ruling Trinamool Congress, sparked a controversy when he spoke in Bengali on a debate on News 18 in June 2019. Chatterjee argued that the other panelists were speaking in Hindi on the English news channel.
