Five held in Goalpara for cow head dumping near temple, CM sees 'deep conspiracy'
The incident came shortly after over 40 arrests were made in Dhubri in connection with cow head dumping cases;
Guwahati, June 15: The police in Goalpara’s Lakhipur, on Sunday, arrested five individuals for allegedly dumping severed cow head near a temple just after Eid-ul-Zuha celebrations.
The actions of the five individuals — identified as Bodir Ali (57), Hazarat Ali (58), Tara Mia (36), Shajamal Mia (42), and Jahangir Alom (32) — are feared to spark communal tensions in the area.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared that a case has been registered against the arrested individuals under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
"Assam is a critical state. This is a deep-rooted conspiracy that dates back to the days of independence. It won’t end merely through warnings. Combating it requires sustained effort, and we must remain committed to the task," he said, on the sidelines of an event in Dibrugarh.
The arrests come a day after a severed cow head was found on the main road leading to a prominent Kali temple in the Daspara locality of the town.
Lakhipur Police acted promptly by reaching the site, removing the remains, and initiating an investigation.
Meanwhile, the local Muslim community in Lakhipur has expressed their contempt against the act of disposing the severed cow head near a temple.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, a local, who also happens to be the President of the Jama Masjid in the area, said that a meeting was convened with the local Muslim people who reiterated their demand that the miscreants be appropriately punished.
Additionally, he said they had spoken to local beef-selling shops, instructing them not to sell the meat within a 5-kilometre radius of temples.
“We visited a few nearby shops and requested them not to sell beef in the area. Some shopkeepers said they haven’t sold beef since Eid and assured us they won’t do so in the future,” the local said.
The arrests in Goalpara’s Lakhipur came a day over 40 arrests were made in neighbouring district Dhubri, following the dumping of severed cow heads in temples.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Chief Minister had warned against the "weaponisation" of beef in Assam.
Referring to recent incidents where cow meat was reportedly dumped at several locations across Assam, the Chief Minister had termed them as "deliberate attempts to disrupt the state’s traditionally harmonious social fabric".
“People are free to consume what they wish during festivals like Eid. But dumping leftover cow meat in front of educational institutions and religious establishments cannot be condoned. These are deliberate attempts to provoke communal tension. Some individuals are weaponising cow meat to incite communal unrest,” Sarma had said.