Some people collected cash from encroachers to stall eviction: CM Himanta

 Dispur sends PFI dossier to Centre, seeks its ban

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government claims to have clear evidence of the involvement of six persons in the recent police-encroacher clash at Gorukhuti in Sipajhar.

Based on the information received from the police after preliminary investigations, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We have clear evidence of the involvement of six persons, including a college teacher, in the clash. The six people collected Rs 28 lakh from the encroachers with the promise of stalling the eviction drive. When the eviction continued defying all odds, the six resorted to instigating the mob to swoop down on the police.

"The PFI (Popular Front of India), an Islamic organization, was also involved in the clash. We have sent the dossier of the PFI to the Centre seeking its ban."

PFI has links with the banned SIMI (Students' Islamic Movement of India). Several state governments have already moved the Centre seeking the ban of the PFI. The Centre cannot ban the outfit because of its case pending in the Kerala High Court. The Chief Minister expressed concern over a section of national media reporting or telecasting only one side of the police-encroacher clash.

Sarma said, "The national media should visit the spot, collect information and report or telecast the exact picture. With some hearsay information, they should not paint a gloomy picture of the situation.

"Had not the police exercised restraint on that day, more encroachers would have lost their lives. I did my job. How can we be mute spectators when thousands of people encroach upon our land right under our nose?"

Meanwhile, AASU (All Assam Students' Union) chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya said, "We want a solution to the problem without any bloodshed. We have nothing to say when the government evicts encroachers. We want that both sides should strike a happy medium and solve the problem without any bloodletting."

PFI's Assam Chapter denied their involvement in the Sipajhar clash. "None of our workers or members was present at the site on the day of the clash. The government has targeted us to malign our image," a PFI office-bearer said.

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