Assam CM claims PFI behind police-peasant 'conflict' in Darrang

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday claimed the Popular Front of India (PFI) was involved in violence during an eviction drive in Darrang district which saw police firing on peasants claiming two lives, including a 12-year old boy, and left over 20 injured,

Sarma also sought the organisation's ban by the Union government and added that his government had prepared a dossier on PFI and would be taking action against the outfit in the state.

PFI's state President Abu Shama Ahmed had denied the allegations saying that it has no cadres in the areas where evictions were carried out and none of its leaders had visited the area.

The Chief Minister claimed there were intelligence reports that six people, including a college lecturer, had collected Rs 28 lakh during the last three months from poor landless families saying that they would convince the government to stall eviction.

''We have the names of six people with intelligence reports that Rs 28 lakh was collected and when they could not prevent the eviction drive, they mobilised those people and created mayhem on that particular day,Sarma said.

He claimed that using the pretext of providing food to evicted people, PFI had visited the site. ''These details have emerged so far and we are sure that when a judicial inquiry begins, more explosive information will emerge'', the chief minister said.

Meanwhile senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal urged that courts must take suo motu cognisance of the brutality in Assam adding that the silence of the government is disheartening.

"Assam - Barbaric images of brutality seen on social media against those resisting eviction have shaken me. The silence of our government has disheartened me," he said on Twitter. "An enquiry is no answer. The court needs to act suo motu," Sibal demanded

Earlier, a Congress delegation, led by Deputy Legislature Party leader Rakibul Hussain, had visited the Gauhati Medical College Hospital and inquired about the condition of those injured in the incident and undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Among those killed during the police action were a 12-year old boy Shaikh Farid who was returning after collecting his Aadhar card from the post office and 28-year old Moinul Haque who in a video that went viral on social media was seen shot dead by the police while a photographer, hired by the district administration to document the situation, was seen kicking, and jumping over his body.

The photographer was later arrested.

Meanwhile, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) whose delegation met Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi on Saturday, urged the government to ensure that a compensation of Rs 20 lakhs be paid to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 10 lakh to those injured in the firing during the eviction drive.

AIUDF also sought a minimum of six bighas of land for farming and one bigha for homestead to be given as compensation to each evicted family.

The party also staged silent protests in different minority dominated districts and also near the state secretariat.