Will seek ban on PFI, says Himanta Biswa Sarma after clashes during eviction

The Assam government will urge the Centre to ban Popular Front of India (PFI), chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, following violent clashes during an eviction drive in Darrang district on Thursday in which two people died and 15 policemen were injured.

Sarma said the government had proof that PFI had a role to play in the violence, which erupted during the anti-eviction protests in the Dholpur Gorukhuti area.

"Encroachment of land is done in Siphajar, Lumding and Barchalla with a definite design, by people from Dhing, Rupohihat and Lahorighat. This happens every five years and the demographic profile of the area changes," Sarma told media persons in Guwahati on Saturday.


Dhing, Rupohihat and Lahorighat are areas with a majority Muslim population.

"State government has clear evidence that a certain group of people collected Rs 28 lakh in the past few months from the poor, (saying) that they will convince the government against eviction; we have those names. When they could not resist the eviction drive, they mobilised people and created havoc," he said.

"Prior to the day of the incident, in the name of carrying food items for the evicted families, PFI visited the site ...evidence is emerging implicating certain people.. they will be brought under investigation. Eviction was supposed to be done against 60 families, how did 10,000 people come there?"

He said the state government had already sent a dossier to the Centre seeking a complete ban on PFI, an Islamic organisation that has often been accused of anti-national activities by the Centre, but which describes itself as a social justice movement.

PFI has, however, denied involvement, saying it had nothing to do with the violent clashes.