Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused the Popular Front of India (PFI) of inciting violence during the eviction drive in the state’s Darrang district and said the time has come to ban the extremist Islamist group. On September 23, two persons were killed and 20 others were injured in clashes between police and alleged encroachers during an eviction drive in villages under Sipajhar revenue circle.
“A certain group had collected Rs 28 lakh from illegal settlers in Dholgaon, Darrang, Assam and promised that they would not be evicted. Time has come to ban PFI. Earlier too, I had urged the Center to ban the organisation. The petition seeking the same was sent during the anti-CAA protests. The protesters had come without any provocation, armed with sticks and weapons.”
However, PFI’s Assam unit president Abu Sama Ahmed has denied the allegations and asked the state government to make the findings public.
The district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC to prevent any possible breach of public peace.
Sarma on Friday said that more than 11 policemen were injured in the clash and it would be probed as to how a cameraman came to the spot and why he tried to nab the man. After the incident, a shocking video has surfaced in which a man is shooting the camera and shooting a dead man on his chest.
The Chief Minister said that a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. “A Congress delegation had also met me and agreed on allotment of land to the landless. The eviction was urgent as the 27,000 acres of land has to be used productively and cannot be allowed to be encroached upon,” he said.
He said the eviction drive was halted on Friday but would resume soon. Normal life came to a standstill due to the 12-hour bandh called by the All Minority Organization Coordination Committee.
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