Assam: JMB Issues Threat to Minister Himanta Biswa & Tourism Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah

Barpeta, February 4, 2020:

Apurba Adhikary, a prominent journalist and son of the Moinbari Sattra in Sorbhog under Barpeta district of Assam, claims that he received a letter from a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) wherein the cadre, identifying himself as Jeherul Islam, has issued threats to Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tourism Chairman.

"On the 5th of January, while coming back to my house in my car, I saw a letter on my gate. Assuming it was a letter to my father, who is a known figure and receives many invitations daily, I kept it aside. However, two days later, I opened the letter, and was utterly shocked by its contents...", Adhikary told Inside Northeast.

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Adhikary says that the handwritten letter, written by a JMB cadre, condemned him as an "enemy of Islam". Furthermore, in the letter, the JMB cadre also takes potshots at Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tourism Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah.

"The letter, written by the JMB cadre, claimed that I, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah are enemies of Islam, and urged me to steer clear of such blasphemy. Moreover, in the letter, the cadre claims that lower Assam would fall to Islamic forces.

Adhikary says that initially, he had no idea about the significance of the letter and he was not familiar with the terror outfit JMB, that primarily operates out of Bangladesh. "However, the local OC advised me to file an FIR. Soon, mediapersons were intimated about the sensitive matter, and the issue has since blown up. I presume that the person is from there parts, as the letter has many references to events that happened here in the past, especially about some articles I had written for an Assamese daily, which the JMB took affront to."

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