Pahalgam terror attack: Assam AIUDF legislator arrested on sedition charges

Guwahati, April 24 (IANS) AIUDF MLA from Assam's Dhing Assembly constituency Aminul Islam was arrested on Thursday on sedition charges following his provocative statement regarding the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed over 20 lives.

In a video clip circulated on social media, Islam is heard claiming that the Pahalgam and Pulwama attacks were part of a conspiracy that might have the involvement of the Prime Minister and Home Minister.

He said: "Six years ago in Pulwama when RDX blast happened and 42 soldiers died, I said on that day the Pulwama blast happened at the behest of a conspiracy of the central government, and it was a conspiracy to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Yesterday, what happened in Pahalgam... where the firing happened... the BJP has been peddling that the terrorists asked about religion and opened fire only on Hindus, and they let go Muslims. But the victims said that the terrorists opened fire without asking about anybody's name and I doubt that the nexus which was involved in the Pulwama attack in which RDX was used... 42 CRPF jawans lost their lives... the same nexus is behind the Pahalgam incident.

"If Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government does not conduct a fair investigation into the incident and tries to bring a division between Hindus and Muslim, I would believe that this incident happened because of a conspiracy," Islam said, 'blaming' PM Modi and HM Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, reacting to Aminul Islam's arrest, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "Be it a direct or indirect effort to support Pakistan... it will not be tolerated from the land of Assam. If there is any effort like social media post, Facebook post or by any other means if anyone tries to support Pakistan, I have instructed Assam Police to take strict and immediate action and the police will actively take the steps."

In April 2020, Islam was arrested on charges of sedition and promoting communal enmity.

The arrest followed the circulation of an audio clip in which Islam allegedly claimed that quarantine centres in Assam were "worse than detention centres" and suggested that the government was conspiring against Muslims under the guise of Covid-19 measures.

--IANS

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