Assam Government demands ban of PFI and CFI: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

In response to the recent arrest of several jihadi elements in the state, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that the states are working together to combat jihadis and that the state government has received information from central agencies about the presence of such elements and has acted on it. 

CM Sarma stated that the inquiry is ongoing and that he expects additional people to be identified as having ties to the jihadists.

The chief minister went on to say that an inquiry is underway to see if the Popular Front of India and Campus Front of India is linked to the arrests, but that the Assam government has demanded that both organizations be banned.

In response to the loudspeaker controversy, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said on Monday that our civilizational values have been under attack for a long time, and genuine demands are also given a communal color, and these are some of the practices that are not integral to religion but develop over time. However, it is the responsibility of a secular state to turn off anything that irritates students or other communities.

"Our civilizational value has been under attack for quite some time. So if there's a genuine demand around exams (to not play loudspeakers), don't play it... in a secular state, it's a duty to shut anything irritant to students/other communities," the CM said.