'No cow qurbani in Hindu areas': Assam CM calls for surrender of main culprit in Dhubri beef row

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 24 visited Dhubri to assess the law and order situation following communal unrest triggered by reports of cattle remains found near a temple during Eid-ul-Adha.

 

Amid rising tensions, Sarma issued a firm message on religious sensitivity and called for the immediate surrender of the man identified as the key instigator in the controversy.

 

“Mintu Ali, the main instigator of the beef controversy, has been identified,” Sarma said. “He is currently absconding, and his mobile phone has been switched off. I call for his self-surrender.”

 

The chief minister confirmed that 151 people have been arrested so far in connection with the unrest. He maintained that the situation in Dhubri is now calm, but the government is planning long-term measures, including the construction of an army camp to strengthen local security.

 

In a strong statement aimed at defusing communal tensions, Sarma asserted, “People who believe in true Islam do not give cow qurbani in Hindu areas,” adding that Islamic texts do not specifically require cow sacrifice.

 

Sarma also issued a clear warning regarding the sale of beef in the area. “The shopkeepers should shut down on their own or else the police will go,” he said, confirming that all qurbani-related activities have now been halted in Dhubri.

 

He revealed that 1,460 cows had entered Dhubri from neighbouring states ahead of Eid and announced that action would be taken against officials in the animal husbandry department for allowing it.

 

To protect religious sites, the Chief Minister declared a beef-free buffer zone around Dhubri’s prominent Sikh Gurdwara. “No one can eat beef within five kilometres,” he said, while pledging to personally remain in Dhubri during Eid next year to ensure peace and order.

 

On political matters, Sarma criticised opposition leader Gaurav Gogoi, claiming, “Gaurav Gogoi’s visit to Pakistan will be announced on September 10,” without offering specifics. Referring to sustained political attacks against him, Sarma added, “A lot of people have been trying for 25 years, for my bad days to come.”

 

He also commented on the Hasila Beel eviction drive, noting, “Evicted people have clicked selfies with me on Hasila Beel, now what to say.”

 

The Chief Minister ended with a serious warning about the presence of radical elements in the region. “Several Jihadi organisations and sleeper cells are active in Assam. It cannot be said how much is there until it is caught,” he said, while confirming that an investigation into the group “Nabin Bangla” is ongoing.