People like Harsh Mander, Prashant Bhushan in Assam to ‘spread unrest': Himanta

Margherita (Assam), Aug 24 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that the Congress, Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, intellectuals like Harsh Mander and Prashant Bhushan and some elements in Pakistan and Bangladesh are working to weaken the state.

He said a "few individuals" have been visiting different parts of the state since Saturday to "spread unrest", while asserting that the government is keeping a watchful eye to foil all such attempts.

Speaking to reporters on sidelines of a programme here, Sarma said, "In Assam, Congress, Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, Prashant Bhushan, Harsh Mander and intellectuals like them, and some elements from Pakistan and Bangladesh are active with the aim to weaken our state".

"We, all Assamese and Indians, have to be united to defeat this conspiracy," he added.

"Harsh Mander and Prasant Bhushan have been visiting different places since yesterday. Another group of similar people, including Jawahar Sircar, Wajahat Habibullah and Fayaz Shaheen are also touring lower Assam districts. They are only meeting leaders of minority community and Jamaat-e-Islami in Assam to create an atmosphere of unrest," the chief minister said.

Sarma said their movements are being closely monitored to ensure that "they do not succeed the way they did during NRC." In a post on X, the chief minister said, "After Jamaat-e-Hind's outburst demanding my dismissal yesterday, a Delhi-based team — Harsh Mander, Wajahat Habibullah, Fayaz Shaheen, Prashant Bhushan, and Jawahar Sircar — is now camping in Assam." Sarma alleged that their sole aim is to paint the lawful evictions as so-called ‘humanitarian crisis'.

"This is nothing but a planned attempt to weaken our fight against encroachers. We are alert and firm. No propaganda or pressure will stop us from protecting our land and culture," he added.

The Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind's Working Committee at a meeting, chaired by its president Mahmood Madani, on Wednesday expressed alarm over the eviction drives in Assam that have rendered more than 50,000 families homeless, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Adopting a resolution, the organisation called upon India's constitutional authorities, particularly the President and the Chief Justice, to immediately remove the chief minister and initiate criminal proceedings against him for hate speech.

Sarma had on Saturday said he does not care about the demand for his resignation and that if he gets Madani, he would send the Islamic scholar to Bangladesh.

The chief minister had claimed on August 18 that some ''strange people'' from different parts of the country are visiting the state and if they cross the limits of the rules, they will be arrested.

''We are keeping tabs on them - they are advocates from Mumbai and Kerala. They had also come when the National Register of Ctizens (NRC) was being updated in the state and spoilt the entire exercise'', he claimed. PTI SSG SSG MNB