Assam CM orders ‘shoot-at-sight' after beef incident sparks communal tension in Dhubri
Guwahati: Assam Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that 38 people have been arrested in connection with a beef incident in Dhubri.
The chief minister visited Dhubri on Friday and reviewed the law-and-order situation of the district.
The government has brought Senior Superintendent of Police, Hailakandi Leena Doley as the Senior Superintendent of Police Dhubri.
The Dhubri town in Assam witnessed tension since last one week after a prohibited meat and a severed cow head was recovered from a Hanuman temple in the town.
The Chief Minister visited the town and assessed the on-the ground situation holding a high-level meeting in Dhubri with DGP Harmeet Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tiwari, and other senior officials of the state administration.
Sarma also visited the temple site and interacted with members of the temple committee and local residents. He also inspected the temple and its surrounding areas and took stock of the deployment of security personnel.
He also assured government assistance for the development of the temple. He also emphasized the need to identify those responsible for orchestrating the unrest.
The Chief Minister firmly stated that no individual or group would be allowed to weaponize the incident involving the prohibited meat to create social discord. Following the outcome of the meeting, the Chief Minister ordered the deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with additional security forces in Dhubri to help normalize the situation.
Dhubri district in Assam witnessing law and order issue post Bakrid celebration, Sarma said he has asked the police to shoot at sight the criminal elements. The town has repeatedly witnessed recovery of beef near a temple.
He said that the government has issued shoot at sight orders in Dhubri.
"The law-and-order situation was a little challenging here for the last one week. After the Eid ul Zuha, somebody kept a severed head of a cow in Hanuman temple. Peace committees are formed involving Hindus and Muslims. However, it was repeated the next day again," he said while adding that there were also cases of stone pelting at night, he said.
Sarma had said, 'From next time onwards I will come to Dhubri before Eid and camp for at least 10 days. Police will shoot at the sight of criminal elements."
The chief minister further added that a Bangladesh backed organization Nobin Bangla has also done postering in Dhubri demanding inclusion of Dhubri district in Bangladesh.
He said that these postering indicates that a communal force backed by Bangladesh is active in Dhubri and they are working to destabilize Dhubri.
On June 9, the Dhubri district administration-imposed prohibition under BNSS 2023 in Dhubri town following the likelihood of breach of peace and public tranquillity in areas falling under Dhubri police station due to communal tension.
The area witnessed tension following recovery of banned meat including a severed cow head from the premises of a Hanuman temple in the town's Ward no 3.
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