Assam

Guwahati, Jun 21 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday asserted the concept of secularism needs to be defined in the context of `Indian civilisation' and accused the media of being partial towards Left-liberals.

Attacking Leftist intellectuals, liberals and the media, Sarma, at a function where RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat launched a book, claimed the country's intellectual society is still dominated by the left-liberals with the media giving them more space while ignoring alternate voices.

Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that Rs 1527.90 crore has been spent so far on updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), an official record of bonafide Indian citizens living in the state.

Replying to a question of Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purakayastha in the assembly, the chief minister said that the Registrar General of India (RGI) is yet to notify the final NRC published on August 31, 2019.

Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) Altogether 20,245 cases of rape have been registered in Assam from 2010 to June 30 this year, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in the assembly on Monday.

During the period, 19 cases of rape by family members and four by religious heads have been recorded, the chief minister said in reply to a question by AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam (Senior).

Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) The Assam government on Monday announced that no public congregation will be allowed in the state on Eid in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta urged the people to celebrate the festival at their homes.

Prayers at mosques will be allowed with a maximum of five persons, he said.

Eid ul-Adha will be celebrated in the state on Wednesday.

Guwahati, Jul 15 (PTI) The Congress in Assam on Thursday urged Governor Jagadish Mukhi to institute a judicial inquiry into the series of encounters that have taken place in the states for the last two months since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office.

In a party memorandum submitted to the Governor, state Congress chief Ripun Bora alleged that human rights in Assam have been constantly violated during these two months since the BJP government came to power for the second consecutive term.

Guwahati, Jul 13 (PTI) The new cattle Bill presented by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is a "copy-paste" of the ordinance on cow protection introduced by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh which has been unnecessarily pushed in Assam on behalf of the RSS, senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said Tuesday.

Guwahati, Jul 13 (PTI) A militant of the National Liberation Front of Bodoland (NLFB) outfit was killed in a police encounter in Assam's Udalguri district on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, police launched an operation in Dimachang in Mazbat police station area and the outfit's self-styled Udalguri district commander was killed in an encounter, Special Director General of Police G P Singh said.

"Early this morning, one Jayphrush @ N Jwngkhwl...was killed in police operation in Dimachang area of Mazbat police station of Udalguri district," Singh tweeted.

Guwahati, Jul 6 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency has filed two appeals in the Gauhati High Court challenging the orders passed by the NIA Special Court relating to the release of Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi and six others.

The NIA court on June 22 and July 1 cleared Gogoi of all charges in the two cases against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for his alleged role in violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam.

His six associates were also released by the court.

Guwahati, Jul 2 (PTI) The movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act that rocked Assam will be revived, MLA Akhil Gogoi said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at Nagaon, Gogoi said the leaders of the movement betrayed the people of the state while he was kept in jail.

"Now that I am out, I want to assure the people that the anti-CAA movement will resume. No (illegal) foreigner will be allowed to stay in the state," he said on the way to his constituency Sivasagar, a day after he was released from jail.

Guwahati, Jun 20 (PTI) The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Sunday condemned the Assam government's proposed population policy and termed it "anti-secular and unconstitutional".

The party also hit out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for advocating a two-child norm for availing benefits under specific state government schemes and exempting certain communities from it.