GUWAHATI: A local court here has directed the police to register a case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the basis of a complaint by Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khaleque, who alleged that the CM made inflammatory remarks over an eviction drive.
The Congress MP had approached the court after the Dispur police station did not register an FIR against Sarma, his advocate Shamim Ahmed Barbhuyan said on Monday.
The court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Biswadeep Baruah, on Saturday directed the Dispur police station to file the case on the basis of Khaleque's complaint that Sarma had stated that the eviction exercise at Gorukhuti in Darang district was a 'revenge' for the incidents of 1983 - when some youths there were killed during the Assam Agitation.
Barbhuyan told PTI that Khaleque had filed the complaint on December 29 at Dispur police station, but it did not register any FIR.
In the order, which was made available on Monday, the court said, "The O.C. Dispur P.S. is directed to register a case on the allegations mentioned in the complaint and investigate the matter fairly and to submit the Final Form at the earliest.
"The veracity of the allegations is not something which can be enquired into prior to registration of the FIR. By failing to even register the FIR, it appears that the police has failed in the discharge of its duty."
The MP, in his complaint, accused the chief minister of making 'communal statements against the Muslim community' while justifying the eviction drive at Gorukhuti in September.
"Betraying his oath on the Constitution, the Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr Sarma has maliciously given a communal colour to what was supposed to be an executive exercise," the complaint said.
The "rampant human rights violations" at Gorukhuti were preceded by multiple utterances of Sarma, who targeted the particular community, Khaleque alleged.
"The hate created by the Hon'ble Chief Minister's constant denigration of the Muslim community manifested itself in the egregious acts of a civilian," he added.
Around 1,200-1,400 houses were razed to the ground on September 20 and September 23 in Dhalpur I, II and III villages in Gorukhuti, leaving over 7,000 people homeless.
Village markets, mosques and madrassas were also bulldozed.
The eviction drive, which passed peacefully on the first day, was conducted amid stiff resistance by the locals on September 23, leaving two dead in police firing.
Over 20 people were also injured, including policemen.