The National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against Opposition AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam, who was arrested on April 24 over his “misleading and instigating statement” targeting the central government over the Pahalgam terror attack last month.
Aminul was released on bail on Wednesday, but was again detained from Nagaon Central Jail under the stringent NSA for the same charges, Nagaon superintendent of police Swapnanil Deka said.
“The deputy commissioner and district magistrate of Nagaon has placed Aminul Islam, MLA from Dhing, under preventive detention under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act, 1980,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X on Thursday.
He added: “This decision follows a report from the superintendent of police, Nagaon, highlighting the MLA’s provocative public speech during a Panchayat election campaign and the circulation of a video in which he allegedly made baseless and inflammatory claims linking the Pahalgam terror attack to a government conspiracy.”
Under the NSA, the state can detain a person without any charge or trial. A person can be detained to prevent him/her from acting in a manner that could adversely impact national security or public order, or essential services. A person can be detained under the NSA even if he gets bail or is acquitted by the court.
Within hours of Aminul’s arrest on April 24, Sarma had said in Guwahati that the arrest was made “on charges of sedition” while warning “everybody who is in Assam that any attempt to defend Pakistan directly or indirectly will be taken head on”.
Police had said that Aminul was booked under sections 152/196/197(1)/113(3)/352/353 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Section 152, 196 and 197 deal with acts endangering the sovereignty of India, promoting enmity between different groups and assertions prejudicial to national integration respectively.
Between April 24 and May 14, 61 people have been arrested in Assam, including Aminul, for anti-national activities on social media, Sarma had posted on Wednesday.
This was Aminul’s second time being arrested. Earlier, he was arrested April 7, 2020, on charges of sedition for allegedly making provocative, communal and misleading remarks on Covid-19 situation in the state and the treatment of patients.
Campaigning for the recently-held panchayat polls, Aminul had purportedly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
“We also suspect that the central government is behind all these incidents in Kashmir so that they can fan anger against the Muslim community and do their politics. That is why we seek an independent inquiry (into the Pahalgam terror attack),” Aminul had purportedly said in a 2.45 minute viral video.
Talking to reporters, Sarma also said that land brokers will be detained under the NSA to deter them from encroaching government land or trying to resettle evicted people.
The chief minister was refering to the recent eviction drive carried out at Kachutoli near Guwahati where land brokers tried to resettle those evicted from the site.
Additional reporting by PTI
