Guwahati, Nov 11 (IANS): A Congress leader in Assam’s Samaguri was arrested on Monday for attacking a journalist while he was covering news, police said.

However, the opposition leaders claimed that the police are favouring the BJP supporters.

The person is identified as Sirajul Islam. He was taken into custody by police from the Singimari area in Samaguri.

Islam was brought to Ruparihat police station in Nagaon district. He will be produced in the Court on Tuesday.

According to police, the Congress leader recently launched an attack on a local scribe who went to Singimari locality to collect news for the byelections.

A case against Islam was registered at Ruparihat police station by the journalist.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Rakibul Hussain aimed at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying: “The Chief Minister has been disobeying the Election Commission’s directive and he is directing the police personnel to arrest Congress workers. This is unacceptable and we shall launch a protest against such action of CM Sarma.”

Hussain also alleged that the police have been behaving like a BJP supporter and there has been total disruption of the law and order situation in the state.

There have been sporadic violence incidents occurring in the Samaguri constituency between Congress and the BJP supporters.

The contest in Samaguri between the BJP and Congress has become interesting. A total of five Assembly seats have byelections on November 13, except in Samaguri, where Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been winning since 2001, the rest of the four seats are with the BJP-led alliance.

The senior Congress leader ousted the three-time AIUDF MP and party chief Badruddin Ajmal in the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with a margin of more than 10 lakh votes in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress leadership kept trust in Rakibul Hussain and gave a ticket to his son Samaguri Tanzil Hussain.

The BJP fielded Diplu Ranjan Sarma in Samaguri to take on Tanzil Hussain.