GUWAHATI: With just a week left for the publication of final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Assam Police on Friday warned that stringent action would be taken against anyone found trying to create communal disharmony or circulate hate messages.
Emerging from a security review meeting with the state’s district magistrates and superintendents of police here, Director General of Police (DGP), Kuladhar Saikia, told journalists that the SPs had been asked to be vigilant.
“We discussed various issues. The SPs have been asked to take action against anyone trying to create a communal disturbance or circulate hate or fake messages through the social media. Strong legal action will be taken against such individuals,” Saikia warned.
He said the SPs had been also asked to regularly monitor the activities in the sensitive areas.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who chaired the meeting, appealed to people to maintain peace. He hoped they would cooperate with the government in the manner they did during the publication of the previous two NRC drafts.
Assam had 280 companies of the central paramilitary forces. After Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir, 55 companies were withdrawn and deployed there. This had heightened the worries of the state government as it created some “gaps” ahead of the NRC final draft publication on August 31. The matter was raised with the Central government and it agreed to re-deploy 51 companies to the state. It was learnt that 43 companies have already arrived.
The DGP said, “We have received some additional companies of central paramilitary forces. We will ask for more if needed”.