After the visit of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, thirty-eight people were arrested in the night in Dhubri city of western Assam, as the city declined after communal tensions in the days after Eid-al-Adha.
A total of 22 people were arrested after discovering the remains of suspected cattle from a temple in the city on 8 and 9 June after communal tensions. According to the district police, a total of five FIRs were lodged in relation to three separate cases related to developments in the city – a cow’s alleged slaughter and except the remains in the temple, rioters in the city, and the spread of misinformation and rumors in the city.
The allegations in these FIRs are related to defining the place of worship in the section of the Assam Conservation Act and the provisions of the Indian Joint Code, working with the intention of annoying religious sentiments, causing criminal conspiracy, leading to a promotion of enmity and enmity between different groups.
However, after the Chief Minister’s visit, 38 more people were arrested by the district police, this time from various places across the district.
Additional SP Dhubri Deepjoti Talukdar said, “We are still investigating and arrest in relation to the incidents that have taken place, but there is also a crack on criminal elements in the districts, which is a continuous operation.”
During his visit to Dhubri on Friday, Sarma said that the police have been ordered to arrest “all criminals in Dhubri”, including people with non-bailable warrants and a criminal history against him. He also said that he would issue “shoot on shoot orders” against law and order disruption in the city.
However, Additional SP Saturday refused to comment on whether formal orders have been received by the District Police to that effect. After his visit, another major step taken by the state government was a reshuffle among police officers by bringing APS officer Leena Dole – who were posted in Halakandi – as SSP Dhubri.
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While Dhumi is a Muslim-Bahul district located along the state border with Bangladesh, the city has a mixed population. Dhubri Municipal Board Chairman and BJP leader Debamoy Sanyal said that the cases in the city were calming down on Sunday and Monday.
“Everything started when a cow’s head was found in the Hanuman temple in Ward 3 of the city on Sunday. That day, we went there, and so police, district administration, and local Muslims and leaders as well as well, and we all discussed till late evening and the next day, again some remains were found despite police appearance and actually said.
The city saw clashes including stone pelting, and the district administration on Monday Orders ordering shops to be closed And restricting the assembly of more than five people and assemblies and rallies. However, these orders were withdrawn on Tuesday afternoon, in which DC Dibakar Nath said the situation has come back under control. However, the next night there were some reports of groups that pelted stones on each other in the night.
“People are discussing in cooperative and peace committees. Everything is fine except for some examples of stone tampering at night. Despite its mixed population and examples of communal tension in the past, they have never taken over a day or two for more than a day.
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During his visit, Sarma linked the tension in the city to “external forces” and a communal group working to create unrest in the city.
Local MLA of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Nazrul Hok alleged that the Chief Minister’s strict instructions were odd to the situation on the ground.
“I have condemned the CM, saying shoot-at-vision orders will be issued in the city because things have not come in the city. Whatever has happened, whatever has happened, there is a proper investigation of what has really happened and the city has to identify the accurate criminals who create unrest.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Principal Boardolyo said that the Congress supports strict measures including shoot-on-vision order to deal with communal forces. However, he pointed to the alleged “agent stimulating” within the BJP, accusing CM Sarma of “a broadcast of two-religious theory” in Assam.
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“In Assam, after Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the BJP, he is spreading communal statements and tasks and doing politics to divide the state … so now these incidents happen, during Durga Puja, during Eid, somewhere or with another, there will be some incidents with consolation.
He further said: “There are examples in the states with BJP governments that when people are caught in relation to such cases, they have been found to be connected to some organization or branch associated with the BJP. Due to these things, we cannot help, but we can appeal that they have intelligence information of the police and all central government and they should identify this communal forces.”
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