Assam CM draws flak over silence on Bajrang Dal arms training camp

Guwahati: The Assam Civil Society, an organisation of intellectuals, has slammed chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his silence on the issue of an arms training camp organised by the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal at a school in Mangaldoi town.

ACS president and senior lawyer of the Gauhati High Court, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury told IANS: “Around 350 youths were trained at the school for four days. They were seen openly handling weapons; however, the police were silent. Even though the incident has come into the public domain, drawing wide-scale criticism, sufficient actions have not been taken against those involved in the arms training camp.”

He also said that one of the cabinet ministers and a former BJP MLA had offered support to the training camp, but surprisingly, the Chief Minister has not said anything against it. “Is he (Himanta Biswa Sarma) supporting the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal?” asked Choudhury.

ACS members have demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

“If the same thing had been done by any Muslim group, we guess the chief minister surely would have reacted in another way,” Choudhury said. “We have decided to write to the Chief Justice of the High Court for an impartial probe, and we also demand the immediate arrest of all the members of the outfit that has organised the arms training camp.”