SRIBHUMI: Assam Police have arrested 13 people in connection with an alleged assault on a Bihu troupe during a Durga Puja idol immersion procession in Sribhumi district, Director General of Police Harmeet Singh said.
Singh said a case had been registered at Sribhumi police station and the arrested persons had been produced before a court. Police were continuing their investigation and efforts were underway to identify and apprehend other people allegedly involved in the incident.
The arrests followed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s directive for immediate action against those responsible for the attack on Friday. Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said attempts to insult Assam’s cultural identity and heritage would not be tolerated.
According to reports, the Bihu troupe had been invited to perform during the procession when a group of miscreants allegedly attacked its members. Several performers sustained injuries, while musical instruments were reportedly damaged.
Union minister and former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the incident, describing it as deeply disturbing. He said Bihu was integral to Assamese society and that attacks on artistes or the state’s cultural heritage were unacceptable.
All Assam Students’ Union president Utpal Sarma also denounced the alleged assault, particularly the damage to traditional instruments such as the dhol and pepa. He called for swift and exemplary action against those responsible.
Utpal Sarma further expressed concern over the reported sense of insecurity among Assamese people in their own state and questioned the government’s commitment to its stated principle of jati-mati-bheti (community, land and hearth).
