Assam Congress MLA arrested for 'provocative' comment: Police
Guwahati(PTI): Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed was arrested on the charge of sedition over his "provocative" remarks on the eviction drive in Assam's Darrang district, police said on Sunday.
Ahmed was detained from his MLA quarter in Dispur on Saturday and taken to the Panbazar police station for interrogation before being arrested, they said.
He is likely to be produced at the court during the day, a police officer said. A case under IPC section 124A (sedition) was filed against him, he said.
Several organisations, including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the BJP's youth wing BJYM, filed police complaints against the legislator over his remarks.
The state Congress had also issued him a notice for his "communally provocative" statements ahead of the bypolls in the state, and sought a reply within three days.
Ahmed had made the remarks while reacting to assertions by some leaders of the BJP-led ruling alliance that the alleged encroachers in Sipajhar area of Darrang district "had killed" eight people in 1983 during the six-year-long Assam agitation.
Ahmed had allegedly said that the eight people who died in the 1983 agitation were "not martyrs, but killers", as they were involved in slaughtering people from the minority community of the Sipajhar area where Gorukhuti is located.
He had purportedly said that "the attack" on the eight people was an act of "self defence" by the Muslim population of that area.
In its notice, the Congress said, "As a lawmaker, your communally provocative comments in media, gnawing at old wounds of the past incidents of Assam Agitation when people of Assam across communities had suffered, is totally insensitive and uncalled for."
The state's ruling alliance partner, Asom Gana Parishad, born out of the Assam agitation, had organised protests at various places, including Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Dhemaji, Tezpur, Biswanath, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Majuli and Morigaon, and burnt effigies of the Congress MLA.
Two people were killed in police firing during an eviction drive in Darrang last month amid massive protests. Over 20 people were injured in the melee.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vijay unable to prove majority, not invited for CM oath ceremony: Sources
Chennai: Actor-politician Vijay has reportedly not been invited to take oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after failing to demonstrate support from the required number of MLAs, sources in Raj Bhavan said.
According to media reports that quoted sources in the office of R.N. Ravi Arlekar, Vijay could not prove the backing of 118 legislators, the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Despite last-minute efforts to secure support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK), and an IUML legislator, Vijay reportedly managed support from only 116 MLAs, falling short by two members.
Sources said Vijay failed to submit letters of support from the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Later, the IUML issued a statement clarifying that it was not part of the TVK-led alliance.
Meanwhile, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran is also said to have informed the Governor that his party would support the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) instead.
Earlier in the evening, Vijay had met Governor Arlekar and staked claim to form the government, stating that he enjoyed the support of 118 MLAs.
