Five arrested in Assam for 'defending' Pahalgam attack: Assam CM

Guwahati, April 25 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday asserted that the state administration has adopted a zero tolerance policy against individuals who "defend" the Pahalgam terror attack, and police will take stringent action against those persons.

The police have already arrested five persons including the AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam and a student of Assam University.

CM Sarma said, "Assam will not tolerate any individual who, directly or indirectly, supports or defends Pakistan in connection with the heinous attack in Pahalgam."

"So far, five individuals have been arrested by @assampolice for directly or indirectly promoting the cause of Pakistan in Social media," he added.

The arrested persons are identified as Md. Jabir Hussain from Hailakandi district, Md. A.K. Bahauddin, Md. Javed Mazumder from Silchar, Md. Mahahar Mia @ Md. Mujihirul Islam from Morigaon district, Md. Aminul Islam from Nagaon district and Md. Sahil Ali from Sivasgar.

The CM also mentioned, "Further arrests are underway as part of our ongoing crackdown."

Islam, AIUDF MLA from Assam's Dhing Assembly constituency, was arrested on Thursday on sedition charges following his provocative statement regarding the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed over 20 lives.

In a video clip circulated on social media, Islam is heard claiming that the Pahalgam and Pulwama attacks were part of a "government conspiracy"

AIUDF chief Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal distanced himself from his MLA Islam's comments.

Ajmal said: "AIUDF stands with the government. The terrorists have no religion, and those who spread terrorism are against Islam.

In April 2020, Islam was arrested on charges of sedition and promoting communal enmity. The arrest followed the circulation of an audio clip in which Islam allegedly claimed that quarantine centres in Assam were "worse than detention centres" and suggested that the government was conspiring against Muslims under the guise of Covid-19 measures.

--IANS

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