Congress protest outside hotel lodging rebels

Congress workers on Friday staged a protest outside a Guwahati hotel where rebel Shiv Sena MLAs from Maharashtra are lodged, asking them to return to their state, even as a Shiv Sena worker was detained by Assam police.
One Sanjay Bhonsale, who claimed to be as emissary of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, said he came from Satara district to appeal to rebel leader Eknath Shinde to return. "It is due to the toil and hard work of Shiv Sainiks like us that Shinde who was like one of us became a minister. He must not get in power and remember the last words of Babasaheb Thackeray that we need to look after Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray," he said. He was detained by police.

Aam Admi Party workers also protested outside the hotel.

Assam Pradesh Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, in a letter to Shinde, said the Maharashtra MLAs' presence in Assam amid a devastating flood in the state "is creating an unhealthy atmosphere".

As per government data, 65 people have died in flood and landslides in Assam since June 14, and 5.5 million people in 32 out of 35 districts in the state are adversely affected by floods and landslides since April, he said in the letter.

"In such a critical and deplorable situation of the state, your presence in Guwahati and the busy activities of Assam government in providing royal hospitality to you, is quite unfair and unacceptable. Assam has been defamed by your presence considering Guwahati as a safe haven for MLAs who have no respect for constitution," Borah said.