The Assam Congress on Saturday called for a high-level inquiry into the deaths of two persons in police firing during an eviction drive in the Kamrup Metropolitan district, ANI reported.
The two persons, Jubahir Ali and Haidar Ali, were killed in police firing on Thursday after an eviction drive turned violent in the Kachutali village under the Sonapur revenue circle on the outskirts of Guwahati. Several police officers were also injured in a scuffle with the residents.
The Assam Congress’ Working President Jakir Hussain Sikdar said that a party delegation went to the Kamrup Metropolitan district on Saturday to assess the situation.
“However, some individuals and organisations, backed by the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party], prevented us from visiting the area,” he said, according to ANI. “We also want to protect the tribal belt and block area.”
On Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress of instigating the people who were evicted on September 12. He also alleged that some of the slogans that the protestors shouted on that day were similar to those heard in Bangladesh, and said that this pointed to “the fanning of fundamentalism”, The Hindu reported.
However, Congress leader Debabrata Saikia claimed that he came to know through a Right to Information response from the Sonapur revenue circle on August 29 that there had been no encroachment on any category of government land.
He also accused Sarma of giving a communal colour to the eviction by claiming that slogans similar to those heard in Bangladesh were heard during the protests. “Whether the issue is of crime or anything else, the Chief Minister has made it a habit to give a communal twist,” he said.
Further, Saikia disputed the chief minister’s contention that there was no need to send notices to those encroaching on government land. “This is a violation of the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court orders saying notice has to be served with sufficient time to people even on government lands,” the Congress leader said, according to The Hindu.
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