GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the police were examining whether the allegedly provocative speeches made by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were responsible for Thursday’s violence at the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district.
One person was killed and over a dozen others were injured during a clash between allegedly evicted settlers and police-forest battalion personnel. The allegedly evicted settlers carried out an attack with stones and sticks, prompting the personnel to open fire. The injured included several personnel.
Sarma said Gandhi held a meeting in Assam’s Chaygaon on the eve of the incident at Paikan. He said some people, including a Zila Parishad member of the Congress from Goalpara, had gone to listen to Gandhi.
“After the meeting was over, they went to Paikan and provoked people that night. The people pounced upon forest department personnel the next morning,” Sarma said.
He claimed the violence was planned a day in advance.
“The Assam Police are examining if the allegedly provocative speeches made by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had any impact here (Paikan). If they had, we will have to call them (Gandhi and Kharge) later. After all, one person died while another is now critical.”
The chief minister said if Gandhi had not made the allegedly provocative statement, the incident at Paikan would not have occurred. He cited past instances when people peacefully vacated areas they had encroached upon ahead of eviction drives.
Sarma said the police acted swiftly and arrested 10 people in connection with the violence.
“In our dictionary, we don’t think or talk of doing. We did (arrested 10 people) within 1 to 2 hours of the incident. Paikan is empty now,” he further stated.
Gandhi and Kharge had visited Assam two days ago to assess the Congress’ preparations for the Assam polls, due early next year. During their stay, they held meetings with party workers.