Ritu Baran Sarmah, an MLA from the BJP, survived a knife attack in Sonitpur district on Thursday. The assailant, a truck driver allegedly under the influence of alcohol, lunged at the legislator with a dagger after a minor road dispute escalated.
The confrontation began when the truck rammed a vehicle belonging to a BJP worker near Sarmah’s office. As Sarmah and other party members arrived to mediate, the driver pulled out the weapon and charged. Locals and security personnel quickly intervened, overpowering the man before he could cause fatal harm. Sarmah emerged unscathed, but one Home Guard member and two BJP workers sustained injuries during the scuffle.
"Though this was a small incident, there were several other people with me, which perhaps helped me deal with the situation better," Sarmah told Times Now in an exclusive interview. He expressed deep concern about the volatility of such encounters. "But the bigger question is, what would have happened if someone else had been in my place?" he asked. Sarmah also suspected the driver might have been under the influence of drugs, highlighting the unpredictable danger of intoxicated individuals on the road.
Police have taken the driver into custody and are investigating the sequence of events. Sarmah emphasized that while this specific incident ended without loss of life, the potential for fatal violence in similar road rage scenarios remains high. Authorities are expected to file charges for attempted murder and public disturbance in the coming days.