GUWAHATI, Apr 3 : It was a mistake, no doubt, but nothing could be worse than the timing. Even as Youth Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Manipur on Thursday to participate in the party poll campaign, his youth brigade in Assam has landed the party into a controversy after 6000 young party activists took out a bike rally on Monday sans helmets, thereby violating traffic rules.

Assam Pradesh Youth Congress president Pijush Hazarika on Wednesday admitted the "mistake" and said they would abide by the legal action taken against them up for the violations.

"Yes, our activists committed the mistake, but the timing was wrong. Since it was ahead of elections, it evoked reactions," he told the media at the party headquarters in Guwahati. The admission came a day after health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had led the bike rally without a helmet, said he did not require a helmet as "God is with me for protection."

As many as 6000 APYC members took part in the bike rally, traversing a distance of about 40 km between Boko and Guwahati, in order to showcase Congress' "youth power".

Traffic SP (city) Pradip Pujari said the process was on to take legal action against all those violated the traffic rules, including Sarma. "Biking without wearing a helmet is a traffic rule violation and we will take legal action which may lead to imposition of fines or filing of cases," Pujari told TOI. But, it is not a criminal offence.

Wearing of helmets is mandatory under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Even as the youth Congress brigade invited much criticism from all quarters, including opposition parties, Hazarika, however, termed the convergence of 6000 Congress youths as the party's achievement. "Not wearing a helmet was a mistake but this was not our first bike rally. Earlier, we had taken out a similar bike rally from Dhubri to Sadiya where 2000 riders took part. At that time, both AGP and BJP remained silent. Since it is ahead of the polls this time, they are shouting at us," he said. Hazarika dared the opposition AGP to bring their youth activists together and organize a similar bike rally. "I am challenging AGP if they can manage 3000 youths, but not without helmets," he added.

Hazarika said, after the bike rally, APYC would be organizing a bicycle rally on April 10 from Khanapara to Jalukbari, which is to be flagged off by chief minister Tarun Gogoi and state Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita. Two young ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rokybul Hussain would also peddle along with the other party workers.

Taking a lesson from the mistake, Hazarika said they would use helmets next time they take out a similar rally.