Guwahati, Jun 16 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi must submit proof that Hindus were behind the recent incidents of communal tensions in the state before “insulting” the community.
Speaking to reporters in North Lakhimpur, Sarma alleged that the Congress has always practised the politics of appeasement.
“For someone to imagine and claim that a Hindu person can place a cow head in a temple, his entire thinking must be so narrow-minded and blackened,” he said.
“If he (Gogoi) has any proof, I appeal to him to submit it to the government before insulting the Hindu society,” he added.
Commenting on the recent tensions, Gogoi had on Sunday alleged that the RSS was trying to trigger communal passions among the people with the state heading for assembly elections next year.
Sarma said no Hindu was involved in the throwing of suspected beef at two temples in Dhubri and Goalpara districts.
He asserted that most members of the minority community do not support such acts and they have criticised them.
“All the people arrested for this incident in Lakhipur (Goalpara) and Dhubri are from the minority community. We have not found involvement of any Hindu people,” he said.
Sarma, however, did not provide details of those arrested for similar incidents in other places, such as Guwahati and Hojai.
On June 8, he had said that a number of cattle were allegedly slaughtered illegally at several places during Eid, and parts of the meat were thrown at places of worship.
Police have so far arrested 50 people in Dhubri and five in Goalpara.
Asked about illegal immigration, Sarma said the state was ruled by Congress for 60 years and the AGP for 10 years.
“When did the maximum number of infiltrations happen in Assam? It was from 1967 to 1971. In that period, the Congress was in power,” he said. PTI TR TR SOM
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