GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Wednesday served a 12-hour ultimatum to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to direct action against Subodh Biswas, the mastermind behind ransacking of AASU’s local office at Silapathar on Monday.
Biswas, the president of hitherto lesser-known Nikhil Bharat Bengali Uddastu Samannay Samiti (NBBUSS), had allegedly instigated a mob with his speech that led to the incident in which at least 10 AASU activists sustained injuries. The mob, mostly NBBUSS members, had vandalised the AASU office during a procession.
So far, nine vandals have been arrested by the police. However, Biswas, who is said to be from Nagpur, is still at large and continues to evade the arrest.
“It’s been two days and the police haven’t been able to arrest him. The Chief Minister often talks about the protection of Assamese people and their land and culture. Our challenge to him is arrest Subodh Biswas within 12 hours,” AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi told media at a protest meeting in Dhemaji. The meeting was attended by the leaders of 19 civil society groups.
Following the protests staged by AASU activists across the State demanding action against the culprits, the State Assembly on Wednesday sent a nine-member and all-party delegation of MLAs to Silapathar.
Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi alleged that the State government had facilitated Biswas’s escape. His accusation stemmed from photographs carried in a section of local dailies featuring Biswas along with Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and other BJP leaders from the State.
Condemning the incident, governor B L Purohit said the ransacking of AASU office was an act of cowardice. He assured that the perpetrators of the crime would be dealt with sternly.
Purohit appealed to people to not take law in their hands. He urged them to maintain peace and harmony to strengthen the State’s pride of being a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society.