'How will our people survive?': CM Himanta Sarma defends arms licences to 'indigenous citizens'

Defending his government’s decision to issue arms licences to “indigenous Indian people”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that “some practical steps” needed to be taken to reach the goals he had set, reported PTI.

“I want the situation in Assam to be explosive,” Sarma said when asked if the situation in the state could turn “explosive” by giving weapons to the residents.

The chief minister added: “Someday, the situation will be explosive in Assam. How will our people survive if there is an explosion?”

On May 28, Sarma announced that the state government would give arms licences to “original inhabitants” living in “vulnerable remote areas”.

He had claimed that the decision was taken after reviewing the demands of residents who were “feeling insecure”. Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon and South Salmara-Mankachar are among the districts where the government “will be lenient in giving licences to eligible people”, Sarma had said.

Bengali-speaking Muslims form the majority population in these districts and two of them – Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankacha – border Bangladesh.

On Thursday, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader claimed that the Assamese people would “survive when there will be licenced arms”, reported PTI. He added that the state government would take “more practical steps” if the party returns to power in the Assembly elections expected...

Read more