One arrested from Assam's Barpeta for 'pro-Pak stand'

Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the state police have arrested another person for allegedly taking pro-Pakistan stand in the social media.

The person is identified as Shahidul Islam and he was arrested from Barpeta.

With Islam's arrest on Tuesday, a total of 13 people have been taken into custody for supporting Pakistan in Assam.

CM Sarma on Tuesday said, "Total 43 anti-nationals have been put behind BARS for sympathising with Pakistan. No TRAITOR will be SPARED."

Among the 43 arrested people, the most prominent is the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam.

He was the first person to be arrested in the state for the "pro-Pakistan" stand.

Aminul Islam, an AIUDF MLA from Assam's Dhing Assembly constituency, was arrested on May 1 on sedition charges following his provocative statement regarding the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed more than 20 lives.

In a video clip circulated on social media, the AIUDF leader is heard claiming that the Pahalgam and Pulwama attacks were part of a "government conspiracy".

Aminul Islam has said: "Six years ago in Pulwama, when the RDX blast happened and 42 soldiers died, I said on that day that 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."

He added that what happened in Pahalgam is that the BJP has been peddling that the terrorists asked about religion and opened fire only on Hindus, and they let go of 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," he said.

He added that the same nexus is behind the Pahalgam incident.

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

However, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal distanced himself from his party legislator's comments.

Ajmal said, "AIUDF stands with the government. The terrorists have no religion, and those who spread terrorism are against Islam."

--IANS

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