A view of the protest rally taken out by Lakhimpur district Congress Committee recently. UB Photos

Silver Line Education and Development Society, an NGO and one Kankumoni Borkotoky have lodged FIRs at Dispur Police Station on Thursday against Assam Congress for using a girl child during a protest rally taken out by the Lakhimpur district Congress on June 6, 2018.

As part of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s call for statewide protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central Government’s failure to control hike in the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG cylinder and essential commodities, the Lakhimpur district Congress also observed ‘betrayal day’ on Wednesday.

The Lakhimpur district Congress activists, who took out a protest rally in North Lakhimpur town, used a minor girl during the rally.

Reacting to the incident, the State BJP spokesperson, Pramod Swami condemned the act of the Congress and said, “It is a cheap act of the Congress to gain publicity. They should not have involved a minor just to gain publicity. It’s a shameful act.”

However, Lakhimpur district Congress president Dr Joyprakash Das expressed his apology for the act during a press conference on Thursday at Rajiv Bhawan in North Lakhimpur.

Expressing her view regarding the incident, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) chairperson Dr Sunita Changkakati said, “It is not a matter to apology. The offenders should be punished if involved in such a cruel act.”

The ASCPCR has reportedly taken suo-moto cognizance into the matter and has instructed the police administration to take steps as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

The Silver Line Education and Development Society demanded strong action against the guilty in the case.

The Lakhimpur district Congress has drawn flak for involving the minor girl aged about 7 to 9 years old during the scorching heat at noon.

The minor girl was, as per reports, dragged throughout the town on a leaf layer of betel nut tree.