India
All the three, perceived to be prominent intellectuals from Assam - Hiren Gohain, Akhil Gogoi and Manjit Mahanta are now booked under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including waging a war against the nation
New Delhi: Three left-leaning intellectuals not only tried to spread disinformation about the Citizenship Amendment Bill but also exploit their disenchantment to create an anti-India atmosphere.
If that wasn't all, some of them advocated for the 'autonomy of Assam', whereas some lobbied for secession. All this happening not in private but in public forums and street agitations in Assam.
Watch: Lies about Citizenship (Amendment) Bill busted
All the three, perceived to be prominent intellectuals from Assam - Hiren Gohain, Akhil Gogoi and Manjit Mahanta are now booked under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including waging a war against the nation.
Gohain is a well known academic and Sahitya Academy awardee. He is also known for his role in the mediation of peace talks between the Union government and the militant group, ULFA. But so many accolades go down the drain when he incites gullible people of Assam to fight for 'sovereignty'. Gohain said at that meeting, "If the government of India, other organisations of the country will not hear our voices, there is no other option for us to raise the sovereignty of Assam issue."
Something in line with Jammu and Kashmir, with a special constitution and a special character of its own. However bizarre it may sound, but that's the ugly truth taking place in Assam, in name of opposition to the citizenship bill. Gohain is known to be a communist and he flaunts his leanings.
Also read: PM Modi promises to safeguard rights of Northeast natives amid uproar against Citizenship Bill
Gohain and Assam farmer leader Akhil Gogoi had raised the ‘sovereignty’ of Assam issue publicly in the meeting organised by ‘Save Assam Forum’ to protest against the Citizenship Bill. Gogoi presents himself as a peasant leader and an RTI activist. But his association with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is well known. This is not his first brush with controversy. In April 2010, when the Congress was in power in Assam, a secret report of the Assam government alleged that Gogoi had close connections with the CPI-Maoist.
In the trio of 'academician', 'activist', there is a journalist as well. The Guwahati unit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) earlier had filed a case against journalist Mahanta for provocating hatred against the people of Assam. This time, he advocated an even hardline stance that is deemed fit for the police to register a case against him for waging war against the nation.
While several organisations may be continuing their protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, in Assam, the Guwahati city police have registered a suo motu case against these three under sections related to sedition.
According to reports, a suo motu FIR was lodged at Latasil police station in Guwahati under sections 120 (B), 121, 123 and 124 (A) of IPC. A case (No 15/2019) was registered under the sections at the police station.
Guwahati city police commissioner Deepak Kumar told MyNation, " A case was registered after certain statements were made at that meeting and police will investigate the matter."
A lot of concocted lies, deceit and half-truths about the bill are being peddled across the North East and particularly in Assam with malicious intent.
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