TMC delegation stopped from leaving Silchar airport

Tension prevailed at Kumbhirgram airport in Silchar in Assam after a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation was prevented by the district administration from going out of the airport and interacting with the people.

The delegation including six Members of Parliament and two MLAs were confined to a room at the airport on the ground that Section 144 Cr. PC was in force in the entire Cachar district.

"We were supposed to interact with some people in Silchar. However, when we landed, the district administration and police officials stopped us from getting out of the airport and later were confined to a room," said a TMC member who was a part of the delegation.

The Assam Police have beefed up security arrangements in the Barak Valley districts, particularly in Silchar town, in the light of the TMC delegation's visit on Thursday.

The TMC delegation told the administration that they would go out in four groups of two persons each, which will not violate Section 144 Cr.PC, but the district administration officials refused.

Some of the members of the TMC team including some women received injuries as the stand off between the delegation and the police led to a scuffle inside the airport.

The Assam government published the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) on July 30 which included the names of 2.89 crore people but kept over 40 lakh people out of the document due to some discrepancies.

The TMC, particularly West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have been very critical about the NRC updation process in Assam and accused the BJP-led governments in Delhi and Dispur of hatching a conspiracy to drive out Bengalis and Muslims from Assam.

Banerjee also stated that the NRC will lead to a civil war in Assam and appealed to the government to stop it immediately.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has warned against making provocative statements against the NRC and said that outsiders making provocative statements about the NRC will not be accepted.

Sonowal said that the people of Assam have shown tremendous political maturity which has made the publication of the complete draft NRC possible.

--IANS

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