Cong questions Shah’s silence over Assam border row, Sipajhar

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday questioned the silence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the Assam firing incident and also the open shootout inside a courtroom in the national capital.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh also asked whether Shah “does not have the time to resolve the issue in Assam”.

Vallabh said the BJP leadership made several tall promises ahead of the Assam elections and asked where are those promises now.

The Congress spokesperson said never in the country’s history has one police force fired upon the police force of another state and killed cops and the home minister is still silent, referring to the Assam-Mizoram border row. Seven people were killed and 50 injured in an exchange of fire between the police forces of the two states this July.

“The country’s home minister does not have time to visit Assam and sort out the issue through talks. He does not have time to resolve this matter. Has he also gone to America?” Vallabh asked.

Commenting on the situation in Assam, the Congress spokesperson questioned why the home minister was not giving any statement when leaders of opposition, the principal opposition party leaders are asking that the central government should interfere.

“Have you seen any statement by the home minister on that? In the past also we had seen that a state police of one state is fighting against the state police of another state? What is going on? Everybody is silent; nobody is making any comment on that, what is the reason for these things,” he asked.

The spokesperson also talked about the eviction drive in Gorukhuti village in Assam’s Darrang district on Thursday that turned ugly. Clashes broke out between the police and alleged encroachers resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to 20.

A shocking video showing a man hitting an apparently dead person with a bullet wound on his chest and jumping over his body also surfaced after the incident, drawing widespread condemnation. The man, who was a photographer engaged by the district administration, was later arrested and a judicial probe has been ordered.

Referring to the Delhi courtroom firing, the Congress spokesperson said, “The country’s law and order situation is worsening, with firing taking place inside a courtroom in the national capital, killing people. There are 10-20 rounds of firing inside a courtroom and where is the home minister. Where is his statement?”

“Who is responsible for this,” Vallabh said, wondering whether the home minister is only supposed to give speeches.

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