GUWAHATI, Aug 8 - Even as the state government has asked the Director-General of Police to conduct a thorough probe into the group clash between the supporters of Bajrang Dal and a group of people at Bhora Singori in Sonitpur on August 5, allegations and counter-allegations are pouring in from various quarters, with demands to find the kingpin of the group clash.
Strongly condemning the incident, the Co-ordination Committee against Citizenship Amendment Act has asked the state government to arrest all the culprits responsible for the incident after a thorough probe and give them exemplary punishment for trying to spread communal tension in the State.
On the other hand, the Prabrajan Virodhi Manch (PVM), a forum vocal against illegal infiltration in Assam, has demanded a probe into the allegation of pro-Pakistan slogans raised during the group clash by the people of doubtful origin.
Several persons were injured in the clash between two groups in Sonitpur on August 5, following a bike rally at Bhora Singori in support of the Ram Temple bhoomi pujan. Whereas a team from the district administration was also attacked and a number of vehicles were damaged in the incident.
�From the statements of police and district administration representatives, it is evident that the members of Bajrang Dal took out the rally without obtaining the necessary permission. A member of the team admitted on camera that no permission was required to visit a temple. A thorough probe must be conducted to find who organised the bike rally, which was a blatant violation of COVID protocol,� the committee headed by eminent intellectual Hiren Gohain said.
The committee also questioned the role of local MLA Ashok Singhal and the ruling BJP. �Not just the rally was organised in an illegal way, the local MLA and some others tried to fuel communal tension by alleging that the local minority population gave slogans in support of Pakistan. Interestingly, this allegation was categorically refuted by the Sonitpur SP himself,� the committee stated.
The PVM, on the other hand, alleged that the Sonitpur district administration is trying to cover up the incident in a mysterious way.
�There are sufficient video footages and eyewitnesses supporting the allegations that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised during the incident,� PVM leader and senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika said.
Hazarika also alleged that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led present government is trying to appease the minorities and cover-up incidents like Sonitpur clash for the vote bank politics.
