Guwahati: Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh has been granted bail by the Gauhati High Court today, nearly two weeks after his arrest by police from Guwahati, Assam over a controversial social media post.

The arrest stemmed from a case filed by the wife of Lakhimpur BJP MLA Manav Deka, following Singh’s pointed remarks against the legislator on X, escalating tensions between the opposition Congress and the ruling BJP in Assam.

The saga began on March 13, when Singh, a vocal critic of the BJP and an advocate by profession, posted on X questioning the legal accountability of several BJP leaders, including Manav Deka. In the post, Singh referenced a news report about the conviction of three individuals in a 2021 rape case in Dhemaji district.

In the tweet Singh named Manav Deka, ex-president of Assam BJP Bhabesh Kalita and ex-union minister Rajen Gohain claiming that they faced similar charges and asked if law was actually equal for all.

The post, which tagged the official BJP Assam handle, sparked immediate backlash.

Manav Deka’s wife, Raajashree Deka, following the incident swiftly lodged an FIR at the North Lakhimpur Police Station, accusing Singh of defamation and invoking provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alongside Section 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

She alleged that Singh’s remarks not only defamed her husband but also insulted her family, including her late father, and indirectly targeted her Scheduled Caste identity. The complaint labelled Singh a “habitual offender,” citing prior legal entanglements over his social media activity.

On March 15, a team of Lakhimpur police, assisted by Guwahati police, arrested Singh from his residence in Guwahati’s Ulubari area. The arrest was marked by high drama, with Singh initially refusing to cooperate, claiming the police lacked a warrant or prior notice—actions he argued violated a recent Gauhati High Court ruling mandating such procedures. Videos circulating online showed police dragging Singh from his home as he resisted, prompting outrage from Congress leaders.

MP Gaurav Gogoi, who arrived at Singh’s residence during the arrest, condemned the police action as “brutal” and accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of misusing law enforcement to silence dissent, especially on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting Assam.

Singh was transported to Lakhimpur, where he was held in judicial custody after a local court initially denied him bail on March 17. e the ruling party insists it acted to uphold the law. As Singh prepares to walk free, the incident underscores the fraught intersection of social media, politics, and legal accountability in the state, with both sides bracing for further fallout ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly session.