Indian authorities on Friday detained Assam MLA Aminul Islam from the opposition benches after he hinted at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP )’s ‘conspiracy’ behind the Pahalgam attack.
Aminul Islam, an All India United Democratic Front MLA who called the Pahalgam attack a government conspiracy in the Indian state of Assam, has been arrested. His arrest order was issued by Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma.
The Chief Minister says the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will not tolerate anyone who directly or indirectly supports Pakistan.
Aminul Islam had released a video message on social media in which he called not only the Pahalgam attack that took place this month but also the Pulwama incident in 2019 an “organised conspiracy” by the Indian government. He maintained that these attacks were carried out for political purposes to promote a specific narrative. His statement went viral on social media within hours, after which the Assam Police took action against him and took him into custody.
Chief Minister Hemant Basava Sarma said in his statement that strict action will be taken against those elements who speak the language of the country’s enemies or strengthen the position of Pakistan. He added that there is no room for anti-national statements in the state of Assam.
The political atmosphere in the country has become heated over the arrest of Aminul Islam. Several opposition leaders and human rights activists have termed this move as an attack on freedom of expression. They say that calling criticism of government policies anti-national has become a dangerous trend, which should be stopped immediately.
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Aminul Islam’s party has also condemned his arrest, saying that he is being targeted for political revenge and an attempt is being made to suppress his opinion. The party has demanded that Aminul Islam be released immediately and all cases against him be dropped.
Police say that an investigation is underway against Aminul Islam, and his statement is being examined from every angle. The incident has once again sparked a new debate in India over freedom of expression, political vendettas and minority rights.
