Assam: Two dead, several injured in firing in Darrang district; Himanta govt orders probe

Two people were killed and many others were injured in a violent clash between the locals and the police at the Dholpur Gorukhuti area in Assam's Darrang district on Thursday. A team of state police had gone to the area to evict illegal encroachers from the land belonging to a state farming project when the locals gathered and raised slogans against the eviction drive, and that led to a clash between the two sides. 

The Director-General of Police (DGP) of Assam is presently in the affected area. Taking stock of the ground situation, while not disclosing much on the action of the police, the top cop informed that a cameraman who was seen vehemently attacking an injured man in a brutal viral video of the incident has been arrested. "As per the wish of the Honourable CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, I have asked the CID to investigate the matter," he further wrote in the tweet.

Assam govt initiates judicial inquiry 

Taking cognizance of the incident, the government decided to institute an inquiry into the circumstance leading to the violent incident. "The government in the Home & political Departments have decided to institute an inquiry into the circumstance leading to the death od 2 civilians and injury of several others including police personnel in the firing that took place at Dhalpur area in Sipajhar Revenue Circle,  under Darrang District on 23/09/2021. The Government has also decided that this inquiry would be conducted under the chairmanship of a retired Judge of Gauhati High Court," the notification released by the government read. 

Opposition slams govt 

Meanwhile, the Opposition has blamed Himanta Biswa Sarma's government for the violent incident. Congress slammed the BJP government and said, "Assam, like the rest of India, is burning because of the hatred BJP is spreading." The national party in a tweet added, "The Congress party strongly condemns the violence used against Indian citizens."

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) sharing a video from the incident, described it as a 'terror force' of fascist, communal & bigoted Govt. shooting at its own citizens. Taking to his official Twitter handle, party leader Ashraful Hussain highlighted that the eviction issue is still pending before the court, and asked if the government could not wait till then. He further wrote, "Who is the person with camera? Someone from our ‘Great Media’ orgs?