Guwahati, Oct 27: Opposition leaders across party lines on Tuesday questioned Assam’s law and order situation after a shooting at a hotel in Guwahati’s Ulubari area claimed five lives, demanding accountability and stringent punishment for those responsible. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi expressed condolences to the bereaved families, saying the incident had raised serious concerns about public safety in the city.

In a social media post, Gogoi said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, must take responsibility for addressing the situation and pay greater attention to rising crime. “This incident raises serious concerns about public safety and the law and order situation in Guwahati,” he said, urging the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, bring the perpetrators to justice and take concrete measures to prevent similar tragedies.

Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Meera Borthakur Goswami also questioned the government over the killings, highlighting the contradiction between its claims of strong leadership and the shooting in the heart of the city. “Five people have been killed in the heart of Guwahati, in a state that has the most powerful Chief Minister!”

she jibed. Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi raised concerns over public safety, asking who would ensure the security of ordinary citizens elsewhere in the state if five people could be killed in a shooting in the state’s largest city.

“Who will take responsibility for this horrific incident in Guwahati?” he asked, calling on the government and administration to take strict action against those responsible.

Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi also expressed concern and paid tribute to the victims. He called for the strictest possible punishment for the guilty and urged the government to ensure that the accused could not escape justice by exploiting legal loopholes.

“There is a need for a thorough investigation to ensure that those responsible were punished,” he said. The political reactions came a day after the shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Ulubari on Monday night.

Four people were initially reported dead, with the toll later rising to five. Preliminary findings suggest that the shooting may have been triggered by a dispute over the hotel’s lease agreement.

The accused had reportedly taken the property on lease about a year earlier. Police said the investigation was at an early stage, with officers examining the circumstances that led to the shooting.