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GUWAHATI — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the recent incidents of crimes against women in the state are being committed with a "bigger intention of grabbing land and threatening the identity of the Assamese people".
He hinted at 'political patronage' behind the crimes, while also claiming that financial power is shifting out of the hands of the Assamese people.
"No society is perfect. Crimes against women are a reality. These crimes had come down in the state in the last three years. But the real intention in the recent incidents is much bigger, through crimes such as rape the target is our land, civilisation," Sarma said at a press interaction late on Saturday evening.
"In Assam, this design is on for the last 30-35 years. That is why the Assam Agitation happened. We have identified the radicals now, but in 1975 itself, the Assamese society was warned that this would happen," he said, referring to the six-year-long movement from 1979 against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Claiming that a "big conspiracy of grabbing land" is being hatched through such crimes, Sarma said, "The survivor's family in Dhing told me that they don't want to stay there anymore... people sell off their property and leave for other places. For a plot of land worth INR 5 lakh, they are offered INR 50 lakh."
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three persons in Nagaon's Dhing area on Thursday evening, with the incident sparking widespread protests. One of the accused was arrested by the police the next day, but he died when he jumped into a pond while purportedly trying to escape from custody.
Read more: Prime accused in Assam rape case dead, villagers refuse burial
Sarma claimed that there is a "pattern" in which first, one or two persons enter and set up their houses in a village, then they start eating beef in their homes and neighbours, uncomfortable with it, start leaving the area.
"It is happening in Barpeta, Mangaldai and other places. Previous chief ministers didn't say these things, but I have said it. There could be threat to my life someday, but I am saying it as it is my duty," Sarma asserted.
"It is all a game of money. Financial power is shifting out of the hands of Assamese people. They are taking advantage of it," he said, without naming any community.
He claimed that criminals get the services of the best of lawyers in the court as the "community comes out for them", but the victims' families don't get such good lawyers due to financial constraints and that "nobody comes for us".
The CM said the government has brought laws now to protect lands in certain areas and he had deputed cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika to the Dhing incident site to discuss with locals how the village, inhabited by the Scheduled Caste community, can be "protected".
Sarma said, "I feel that if there is no political patronage, such incidents will decrease. But when political patronage is there, social media posts are made in support of them, criminals get courage and such incidents increase."
He said the government will take "tough decisions and measures" to curb these crimes, and sought public support in this regard.
"To ensure that such crimes don't recur in the future, the society needs to be united and support the tough steps taken by the government," he added.
The chief minister also urged the public not to take the law into their hands and adopt a peaceful approach.
"If the Assamese society is united, there will be no problem. But if it is divided, it will be weakened. The Dhing incident is not only about rape, Assamese people are being terrorised so that they leave their land," he claimed.