A medical student and a leader of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were among 14 people arrested in Assam since Friday night for “adverse/objectionable” pro-Taliban posts on social media platforms.
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Two each were arrested from Barpeta, Dhubri, Kamrup and Karimganj districts and one each from Cachar, Darrang, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai and South Salmara districts.
A senior police officer said they were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Information Technology Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The State’s Special Director-General of Police, G.P. Singh said one of the persons arrested is an MBBS student and three are Islamic clerics. The oldest person arrested was 65-year-old Maulana Basiruddin Laskar of Hojai district and the youngest was 23-year-old Arman Hussain of Hailakandi district.
Hussain is a third-semester student at Tezpur Medical College.
Also among those arrested was Maulana Fazul Karim, the 49-year-old general secretary of AIUDF from Darrang district. “The law will take its own course. For the time being, he has been suspended as the party’s general secretary,” AIUDF vice-president Awal Majid said.
“#assampolice are taking stern legal action against pro #Taliban comments in the social media platform that are harmful to the National Security. We’re registering criminal cases against such persons,” tweeted Deputy Inspector-General of Police Violet Baruah on Saturday.
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She said the police were registering criminal cases against such persons and appealed to the people to inform them if they find objectional content on social media site.
