Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted on Tuesday that the “business” of throwing beef in various places should stop, else it could lead to others placing pork in different areas in retaliation.
He asserted that the Government doesn’t want anything of this sort to happen and there should not be a “fight” over such matters.
“We have to stop these people from this business of throwing beef, else others will start placing pork at different places,” Sarma said when asked for his reaction to recent incidents of beef and cow parts being allegedly thrown near Hindu religious places and other areas in different parts of the State. “Those who are doing it should understand that if Hindus don’t like one form of meat, the Muslims also do not prefer another type, if beef is thrown in front of temples and ‘namghars’ (Vaishnavite place of worship), what will they do if pork is placed in front of mosques?” he asked. There should not be fights over these things, Sarma said. “We don’t want any of it to happen. These places should be kept vegetarian, it is good for the health of the people also,” Sarma added.
On June 8, Sarma had said that several cattle were allegedly slaughtered illegally at several places during the Bakrid festival and parts of the meat were thrown at multiple locations across Assam.
Police have so far arrested over 150 people with over 60 in Dhubri alone in connection with the illegal slaughter of cows to create communal disturbances in the State.
Shoot-at-sight orders at night were issued in Assam’s Dhubri district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday. Sarma visited Dhubri for the second time in 10 days and reviewed the law and order situation following communal tension in the district after the Eid-ul-Zuha festival. He said that the State Government was also exploring the option of setting up a permanent base of the Indian Army to strengthen the security apparatus in this sensitive district. Sarma said that over 150 “anti-socials”, including 11 from outside the State who had cases pending against them, have been arrested since June 13. “Our zero-tolerance approach along with apprehending 150 anti-social elements is working but we are not lowering our guard against communal forces,” he said.
The mastermind involved in throwing body parts of a cow in front of the temple has also been identified, Sarma said.
“The mastermind has been identified as Mintu Ali. He is currently absconding and he should surrender soon,” he added. The police are keeping a strict vigil across the district to prevent any further outbreak of communal disturbances.
The Chief Minister visited Dhubri on June 13 and announced that shoot-at-sight orders would be in force at night in the district, bordering Bangladesh, as a communal group is trying to create disturbances which the Government will not tolerate.