The Criminal Investigation Department of the Assam police has arrested two persons for allegedly inciting violence during the eviction drive near Sipajhar in Darrang district on September 23. The two arrested on Sunday are Hasmat Ali, former president of the Bajnapathar panchayat, and Shan Mahmood, president of the Sanowa panchayat.
“They were arrested for instigating the people to attack the police during the eviction drive. They are being kept at the Sipajhar police station,” a district police officer said.
Two persons, including a minor, were killed in police firing and a dozen others were injured during the eviction.
Nine of the injured were security personnel.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed the violence on the Popular Front of India, a radical Islamic organisation. He also requested the Centre to ban the organisation.
The State Congress accused the BJP-led government of ruling the State through the barrel of a gun since the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December 2019. State Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah also demanded action against the Darrang Deputy Commissioner and the SP.
“We are not against the eviction of encroachers but the killing of farmers cannot be accepted. Nothing can justify the shooting of people in cold blood,” party spokesperson Partha Pratim Bora said.
