The Assam Congress yesterday suspended its MLA, Sherman Ali Ahmed, days after he was arrested for making provocative statements on an eviction drive around 40 years ago. In a one-line statement, Congress said that it has suspended Ahmed with immediate effect for repeatedly violating party discipline.

The Congress had earlier served a show-cause notice to the three-time MLA from Baghbar for justifying the killing of eight people during an agitation in Darrang district in 1983. He called the eight people, seen as martyrs of agitation in the Assamese society, “murderers”.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel.

Ahmed apparently made the remarks while reacting to last month’s eviction drive in the district that turned violent leaving at least two persons dead in police firing and several injured in clashes.

The eviction drive was carried at four places in Dholpur, about 9 km from Sipajhar, on September 20, and nearly 800 families – most of whom were Bengali-speaking Muslims – were removed from 4,500 bighas of land the government claimed ownership for, reports NDTV.

His comment has evoked strong reactions across Assam and multiple FIRs have been filed against him. Ahmed was later arrested from his official residence in Guwahati on October 2.

In its show-cause notice, the Assam Congress has accused MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed of making “politically motivated” statements “with the intention of damaging the party’s image” ahead of the by-polls in the state.

It also said that allegations are rife within the party and even outside that Ahmed is acting as an “agent of the BJP”, and that due to his closeness to the chief minister, he is being sponsored to make such comments to cause harm to the Congress, especially during elections.

The Nellie Massacre, which took place in February 1983, happened after the Assam Agitation was launched by the All Assam Students Union in 1979. They had demanded the identification and deportation of undocumented immigrants from Assam.

The agitation witnessed several episodes of violence, with the most prominent being the massacre at Nellie village. Within six hours, agitators had killed around 1,800 people, mostly Muslim. The unofficial toll counts 3,000 dead.



Assam Eviction: Congress suspends arrested MLA
Source: Trend Viral Philippines