Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced the arrest of an individual for allegedly providing phone numbers of several residents of Dhubri district to the fundamentalist outfit Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is reportedly attempting to create disturbances in the state.
The arrested man, identified as Ali Hussain Bepari, is said to have acted as the main conduit supplying phone numbers to JMB members, who then allegedly contacted these individuals with the intent to radicalise them.
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Bepari had previously been apprehended but was out on bail.
“The police are in the final stages of the investigation, and more details are expected to emerge soon,” the Chief Minister said. He added that a strict vigil is being maintained in Dhubri and South Salmara, districts bordering Bangladesh.
“South Salmara has been peaceful for the last five years, but there have been several activities in recent times in Dhubri. We have decided to continue shoot-at-sight orders at night during Durga Puja as a precaution,” Sarma said.
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On another matter, the CM clarified that no FIR will be filed against former Planning Commission member Sayeeda Hamid for stating that Bangladeshis can also live in Assam.
“If I file an FIR, she will collect contributions from different parts of the country to fight the case. She will be only enriched. However, if she returns to Assam, the government will act according to the law,” he said.
Sarma also highlighted ongoing efforts to manage cross-border infiltration, saying that while no Bangladeshi has been deported since the Assam agitation nearly four decades ago, the state is now pushing back 70-100 people weekly attempting to enter the country illegally.
Regarding the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Chief Minister alleged that the process has numerous anomalies.
“The people of Assam have been cheated with many doubtful entries in the NRC. The final NRC, released on August 31, 2019, excluded 19,06,657 applicants, including 3,11,21,004 names out of 3,30,27,661 applications. It has not yet been notified,” he said.
“Our goal is to ensure that the Centre, Supreme Court, or Assam government examine the legal aspects and find a solution, as the existing NRC cannot be accepted in its current form,” Sarma added.