The Opposition’s demand on Monday for action against ruling BJP MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi’s unruly behaviour inside the House on Friday was all but drowned by the uproar over the alleged assault on deputy Speaker by Congress MLA Nurul Huda.

The Congress and the AIUDF had on Monday morning come prepared to force the state government on the mat over Kurmi’s unprecedented behaviour towards Opposition members. Dressed in black and carrying placards, Congress members led by Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the Opposition, wanted the sanctity of the House to be ensured.

Saikia had on Sunday written to the Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary to refer the Kurmi issue to the privilege committee and suspend him for the remaining two days of the budget session.

Similarly, AIUDF MLAs also raised slogans seeking action against Kurmi. They came with bamboo barricades, symbolising a partition for protecting themselves from unruly members.

However, soon after the Question Hour began the ruling BJP launched a counter-attack led by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

He said he had received a message from deputy Speaker Numal Momin that said the latter had been attacked by Congress MLA Nurul Huda and that he was hospitalised.

“I request the Speaker to file a police case as it happened outside the House and the police should investigate it. This will set a bad precedence that an indigenous tribal has been attacked inside the Assembly complex. This is going to be a big issue,” Sarma said, triggering an uproar involving the treasury bench and the Opposition.

The Speaker promptly ordered the Assembly secretary to inquire into the matter.

In response, Saikia sought a House Committee probe instead of registering a police case because the alleged incident had happened in the Assembly building.

The Opposition parties then went to the Well of the House protesting Kurmi’s behaviour and the claim of the attack on Momin, leading to the adjournment of the House for ten minutes.

Deputy Speaker Momin was present when the House resumed after the adjournmernt. The attack issue was raised by Sarma when he had left the House during the Question Hour.

Momin made a statement claiming his hand was injured during the obstruction by Opposition members from entering the House.

He said he had rushed to the Assembly pharmacy after he saw blood on his left hand, which was bandaged when he returned to the House after taking tetanus injections and painkillers. He said what happened was unprecedented and expressed concern over his security. By evening, Momin had lodged a complaint with Dispur Police against Huda.

Inside the House, Sarma left it to the Speaker to decide the Momin issue.

With the Congress sticking to the Kurmi issue, the Speaker said he checked the records related to Kurmi and that all unparliamentary words used by him had been expunged and the deputy Speaker had asked him to apologise which he has done.

“There is no question of referring it to the privilege committee. Deputy Speaker has taken action and I am also telling Rupjyoti Kurmi not to repeat his actions. I am urging all members to exercise restraint,” Speaker Daimary said.

Kurmi had apologised in the House for his unruly behaviour.

In the House, Saikia called for the video footage of the alleged assault on Momin to be made available to know what exactly transpired. A viral video of the alleged attack was not clear.

Senior AIUDF leader Amihnul Islam said since the ruling BJP was on the back foot they created “this assault drama” to drown the protests against Kurmi.

“As far we know, nobody was attacked. It must be some kind of scratch during the jostling at the entrance. That is why we have asked for a House Committee probe,” he said.