GUWAHATI: Two persons with suspected links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested by the police for their alleged involvement in the recent violence during an eviction drive in Assam's Darrang.
The arrested Chand Mamud and Ashmmat Ali are the president of Sonowa Village Panchayat and former president of Bojona Pathar Village Panchayat respectively.
"We arrested two persons last (Sunday) night and are verifying their links with the PFI. Our investigation is on," Darrang Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma told The New Indian Express.
A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the duo for criminal conspiracy, instigating violence and mobilising crowds on that day.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that the PFI visited the site of violence, prior to the day of the incident, in the name of distributing food items to the evicted families. The violence had left two persons dead and several others injured.
Meanwhile, the state's two principal opposition parties – Congress and minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) – are locked in a war of words for failing to protect the interest of the landless people who have been evicted.
AIUDF legislator Karim Uddin Barbhuiya slammed the Congress for failing to give one bigha of land to each family despite a promise.
"While serving as the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi had himself stated that each of the families would be allotted one bigha of land. The Congress did not fulfil the promise despite using these people for 40 years," Barbhuiya said.
He added, "The AIUDF doesn't do politics with the blood of the Miyas (Bengali Muslims). Our people died. (State Congress chief) Bhupen Bora and Himanta Biswa's people had not died. The Congress has no business to enact this drama."
The Congress accused the AIUDF of toeing the ruling BJP’s line.
"The AIUDF is speaking the language of the BJP for the fear of facing action. That's why it is attacking the Congress. If there were no AIUDF, we would not have this problem," Congress leader and former minister Rakibul Hussain said.
The migrant Muslims in Assam are considered the AIUDF's vote-banks. The leaders of AIUDF and some minority organisations met the CM on Monday and discussed the Darrang incident.