The Assam Civil Society (ACS), a group of intellectuals and lawyers, criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his silence on the issue of an arms training camp conducted by the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, a Hindu right-wing outfit, at a school in Mangaldoi town.
According to ACS president and senior advocate of the Gauhati High Court, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, around 350 youths were trained in handling weapons at the school for four days, while the police did not intervene. He said that the incident has sparked public outrage, but the authorities have not taken adequate actions against the organisers and participants of the camp.
Choudhury also alleged that a cabinet minister and a former BJP MLA had supported the camp, and questioned the silence of the Chief Minister on the matter.
“Is he (Himanta Biswa Sarma) supporting the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal?” he asked.
The ACS members have demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, and have decided to write to the Chief Justice of the High Court for an impartial probe. They have also demanded the immediate arrest of all the members of the outfit that has organised the arms training camp.
Choudhury said that if a similar camp had been organised by any Muslim group, the Chief Minister would have reacted differently. “We want justice and peace in Assam,” he said.
Earlier on August 2, hours after the Darrang Police registered a case against the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, two members of the organization were detained.
As per sources, the detained persons were identified as Bijoy Ghosh and Gopal Boro.
Bijoy Ghosh was nabbed by the police from his residence in Mangaldoi. Gopal Boro is a resident of Udalguri’s Dimakuchi.
