Assam Congress Demands Inquiry After Police Firing During Eviction in Sonapur
The Assam Pradesh Congress has called for a high-level inquiry into the deaths of two individuals who were killed in police firing during an eviction drive in the Sonapur Kachutali area of the Kamrup (Metro) district on Thursday.
Congress Leaders Demand Inquiry
Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Working President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and an MLA, stated, “We have demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident.” He added that a delegation from the Congress party visited the area to assess the situation but faced opposition from individuals and organisations backed by the BJP.
Protests Against Congress Delegation
Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed mentioned that they were subjected to “dadagiri” and were not allowed to visit the site. On Saturday, a delegation from the Assam Congress arrived in Sonapur to meet the displaced families and assess the situation. However, local residents and tribal organisations staged a protest against the Congress delegation’s visit, leading to tensions in the presence of police.
Chief Minister’s Statement
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that two people were killed and seven others injured after police fired to control a mob that attacked police personnel and government officials during the eviction drive. He mentioned that the eviction was initially peaceful but worsened following Congress’ involvement. A total of 22 police personnel and a revenue circle officer were injured in the clashes.
Sarma said, “The eviction drive was conducted peacefully. However, when Congress began opposing the eviction in the morning, the situation deteriorated, and a large group of people armed with lathis and bamboo sticks attacked the police and government officials. As a result, 22 police personnel and a revenue circle officer were injured. The police fired shots, leading to the deaths of two people and injuries to seven others.”
He added that the eviction drive was against illegal encroachers in the tribal belt and block area of Sonapur.
Doubts Revealed
Assam Pradesh Congress -: Assam Pradesh Congress is the state branch of the Indian National Congress party in Assam. They are involved in local politics and governance.
inquiry -: An inquiry is an official investigation to find out the truth about an event or situation. In this case, it means looking into what happened during the police firing.
police firing -: Police firing means that the police used their guns and shot at people. This can happen during serious situations to control crowds or stop violence.
eviction drive -: An eviction drive is when people are forced to leave their homes or land, usually because they are living there illegally or the government needs the land for something else.
Sonapur -: Sonapur is a place in the Kamrup (Metro) district of Assam, India. It is the location where the eviction and police firing happened.
Kamrup (Metro) district -: Kamrup (Metro) district is an administrative region in Assam, India. It includes the city of Guwahati and surrounding areas.
Jakir Hussain Sikdar -: Jakir Hussain Sikdar is a leader in the Assam Pradesh Congress. He is involved in local politics and was trying to visit the site of the incident.
Rekibuddin Ahmed -: Rekibuddin Ahmed is another leader in the Assam Pradesh Congress. He was also trying to visit the site of the incident.
Assam Chief Minister -: The Assam Chief Minister is the head of the government in the state of Assam. The current Chief Minister is Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam. He is responsible for the administration and governance of the state.
