Guwahati, March 7 (PTI): The Army staged a flag march at Silapathar in Assam’s Dhemaji district today after members of an organisation ransacked the office of the All-Assam Students Union here demanding Indian citizenship for Hindu Bengalis who came to the state from Bangladesh after 1971.
Members of a little-known organisation “Nikhil Bharat Bengali Udbastu Samanvay Rakhi Samiti” yesterday attacked an office of the AASU situated on NH 15 (B), injuring three persons and destroying furniture. They demanded Indian citizenship for Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh.
Following this local people set ablaze a car and a motorcycle and damaged roadside tea stalls, the police said today.
Today various organisations, including the AASU and other ethnic students’ organisations held a joint meeting in Guwahati today protesting against yesterday’s incident.
Dhemaji district Deputy Commissioner Roshni Aparanji Korati said that nine persons were apprehended in this connection and an FIR registered against five persons.“We appeal to the people not to take law in their hands. Action was immediately taken and the situation is under control now,” she said. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who was an AASU member in the early days of his political career, described the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and appealed to the people for maintaining peace.
Sonowal said that an inquiry had been ordered and the administration asked to submit a report within a month.
AASU President Dipanka Kumar Nath has condemned the incident.
Meanwhile, the state Assembly today unanimously condemned the attack on the AASU office in Dhemaji district and urged the state government to take strict action against the persons responsible.
Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami announced in the House that an all-party goodwill team, led by Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, would visit Silapathar and submit its report.
“This is a condemnable incident. All such divisive forces should be curbed strictly. The government should take action against such anti-social elements trying to commit divisive acts,” Goswami said.
He also urged the government to ensure security for all sects.
Parliamentary Affairs Chandra Mohan Patowary said that the government would not allow anyone from ‘outside’ to obstruct the development journey of Assam.
“We condemn the entire incident. We have already ordered an enquiry committee by Additional Chief Secretary V B Pyarelal and it will submit its report witin 30 days. We will take strict action and will not allow such meetings in future,” the Minister said.
Initiating the discussion, AGP MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury said a similar meeting is going to be organised on March 10 at Mayong in Morigaon district and requested the government not to permit it.
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said NIBBUSS president Subodh Biswas, who hails from Nagpur, made inflammatory speeches yesterday and it resulted in the attack on AASU office.
“The government failed to read the situation. The district administration should not have given the permission for the meeting, which was for demanding citizenship to Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh coming to Assam after 1971. There should have been adequate force,” he added.
Demanding compensation for the victims, the Congress leader asked for an enquiry by a sitting High Court Judge.
AIUDF member Aminul Islam said the government must ensure that the situation does not flare up as a circle with vested interest is working on to destabilise Assam. AGP MLA Prodip Hazarika said Biswas, the NIBBUSS leader from Nagpur, should be arrested for making inflammatory speeches and asked the government not to allow such meetings in future.
Reacting to the demands by all members, Patowary said the government would examine Biswas’ speech and would act accordingly.
