Guwahati, Aug 04: Two members of a Hindutva outfit, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD), have been arrested by the police in Assam’s Darrang district for allegedly organizing an arms training camp at a private school in Mangaldoi.
The camp, which took place at the end of July, saw the participation of RBD members from across the Northeast, who had occupied the campus during the school’s vacation period. The arrests have raised concerns and prompted the Opposition to seek answers from the BJP-led state government.
The police arrested Gopal Boro from his home in the neighboring Udalguri district, while Bijay Ghosh was picked up from his residence in Mangaldoi. They were produced in a local court and remanded in police custody for a day before being sent to judicial custody. The authorities are currently searching for other individuals involved in the camp.
The incident came to light after a video surfaced showing the purported arms training camp being conducted at the Mangaldoi Maharishi Vidyamandir Vidyalaya. In response to the video, the school principal, Hemanta Payeng, and a senior office employee, Ratan Das, were initially arrested but were later granted bail.
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According to sources, the school authorities claimed that they had granted permission for a yoga camp organized by an RBD member named Abhijit Ghose, not an arms training camp. Ghose had applied for permission to hold a yoga training session, claiming that discussions on employability and promoting a drug-free society would also be conducted during the camp.
The Darrang deputy commissioner lodged an FIR against Zoii Nath Sarmah, the founding trustee of the school and a former MLA and minister, for allegedly allowing the camp to take place. The investigation revealed that the school principal had forwarded the application to Sarmah for approval.
The incident has drawn attention to the implementation of Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area. The entire district was under the restriction, and only the deputy commissioner could issue permissions for gatherings during such restrictions.
The school authorities responded to the situation by filing an FIR against Ghose for misrepresenting the nature of the camp in his application. They emphasized that the school supports yoga and meditation but firmly denied granting permission for arms training.
The arms training case has raised questions from the Opposition, with the Assam Congress chief seeking clarification from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Opposition expressed concerns about the implications of one of Sarma’s ministers reportedly suggesting that such training was necessary to protect temples. They questioned whether this implied a lack of confidence in the state police and raised doubts about the government’s stance on security matters.
The incident has brought to the forefront the need for transparency and accountability in the state’s administration. The police investigation will delve further into the matter, and it is crucial for the authorities to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. The controversy surrounding the arms training camp requires a thorough and unbiased inquiry to establish the truth and hold responsible parties accountable for their actions.
