Guwahati: In a distressing development in Assam’s Dolbagan area, a group of Hindutva supporters reportedly attacked 15 Bengali-speaking Muslim laborers, escalating tensions in the region. The assailants, who were masked, violently assaulted the workers and demanded they vacate the area within an hour, intensifying scrutiny on the state’s Chief Minister following his recent controversial remarks.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the attackers targeted the laborers’ common room in Upper Assam’s Dolbagan, severely beating them and coercing them to chant Hindu slogans. The victims, who hail from the Lower Assam districts of Goalpara and Barpeta, were also threatened with severe consequences if they failed to comply with the demand to leave immediately. The incident was recorded and the video circulated online, showcasing the severity of the assault.
Rajibul Haque, one of the laborers and a victim of the attack, told The Wire about the harrowing experience, detailing how the group was treated violently and given only half an hour to leave the area. Haque, who has been employed at a local construction site for over three years, emphasized the brutality and humiliation suffered during the incident.
The attack has raised concerns about the role of Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, whose recent inflammatory statements have been linked to rising communal tensions. The United Opposition Forum (UOF), comprising 18 opposition parties, has filed an FIR against Sarma, accusing him of inciting religious and racial hatred. The UOF has also called for his immediate arrest to prevent further escalation of communal unrest.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, led by President Bhupen Kumar Borah, has also voiced strong criticism against the Chief Minister, accusing him of stoking communal tensions and behaving in a manner that lacks political decency. The FIR highlights Sarma’s statements as a significant factor contributing to the current volatile situation.