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Assam lawmaker writes to CM on ‘police atrocities’ during lockdown
In a letter, Debabrata Saikia brought to CM Sonowal’s notice several news reports and videos showing police personnel assaulting and harassing people who had ventured out during the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
Congress legislator and leader of the opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on alleged atrocities committed by the police on people during the ongoing lockdown.
In a letter, Saikia brought to Sonowal’s notice several news reports and videos showing police personnel assaulting and harassing people who had ventured out during the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
He pointed out that both the central and state governments have allowed citizens to venture out in small numbers for emergency purposes like procuring grocery and medicines during the lockdown.
“Unfortunately many personnel of the Assam Police are displaying a tendency to beat up and/or humiliate people first and ask questions later,” Saikia wrote in his letter to Sonowal who heads the home department.
There were reports that a pharmacy owner in Golaghat district was caned by the police when he was going to open his establishment. In another instance, a newspaper vendor was reportedly assaulted by police in Nalbari.
“Even a national emergency cannot justify such blatant violation of a civilian’s basic human right of living with dignity. If anyone is found to be loitering in the streets without due cause, then that person should be booked and the courts of law should be allowed to penalize him,” Saikia wrote.
