GUWAHATI: Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) expressed grave concerns over what they allege to be a surge in atrocities against indigenous people of Assam by Bangladeshi individuals under the BJP-led government.

PVM convener and Supreme Court lawyer Upamanyu Hazarika accused the BJP of pursuing a policy of appeasement towards Bangladeshi Muslims in order to secure their votes and support in the ongoing general elections.

Hazarika highlighted an incident that occurred at Mangaldai in Assam on April 24, where Jiten Deka and his son Sasanka Deka were reportedly brutally assaulted by Bangladeshi-origin agricultural produce vendors.

According to Hazarika, Jiten Deka was attacked while selling vegetables in the Mangaldoi Municipal Board’s daily bazaar, with his son Sasanka rushing to his aid, only to be severely beaten with lathis and sharp weapons.

Despite Malaya Deka, Jiten’s wife, filing a complaint at the Mangaldoi Sadar police station in Assam, no immediate action was taken.

It was only after protests from residents of Howly village, where the Dekas reside, that a complaint was registered on May 4, leading to the arrest of one person.

Hazarika stressed that while video evidence clearly showed multiple attackers, only one arrest was made. He criticized the lack of action by the Mangaldoi Municipal Board against the offending vendors and urged the immediate cancellation of their licenses.

Additionally, he called on Prakash Sonowal, the superintendent of police in Darrang district of Assam, to take swift action against all those involved in the assault.

The lawyer emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that Sasanka Deka narrowly escaped with his life despite sustaining injuries from sharp weapons.

He linked the incident to the broader issue of Bangladeshi individuals feeling emboldened, allegedly fuelled by the BJP’s policy of appeasement and the absence of NRC verification.

Hazarika pointed to another distressing incident in Dudhnoi, where two 13-year-old Bodo girls were reportedly raped by Bangladeshi individuals, resulting in the murder of their 19-year-old brother, Hiranmay Khaklary.

He warned that unless NRC re-verification is conducted and safeguards for indigenous people are implemented, Assam risks becoming a Bangladeshi-majority state.