Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced a ‘shoot-at-sight’ order in Dhubri town, following a series of disturbing communal incidents that have gripped the border district. The directive comes in response to escalating tensions sparked by the alleged placing of cow heads near a Hanuman temple and subsequent stone-pelting incidents in the area. The Chief Minister, who landed in Dhubri around 11 am on June 13, wasted no time in assessing the ground situation. He held a high-level review meeting at the Circuit House with top officials from the district administration and police department. Ahead of his visit, the Dhubri police had already heightened security across the town, anticipating further unrest.
Addressing the media after the meeting, CM Sarma issued a stern warning: “If any untoward situation arises, shoot-at-sight orders will be enforced in Dhubri. This applies to any illegal activity, including stone-pelting, starting tonight.” He further directed officials to arrest all “tainted criminals” without delay and emphasized the need for swift and decisive action to restore peace. The Chief Minister also raised concerns over what he described as external elements attempting to disturb communal harmony. “Dhubri has been targeted by fundamentalist forces from Bangladesh. I will never allow this to happen,” he declared. He pointed to a series of events dating back to Bakri Eid, where cow heads were allegedly placed outside a local temple on consecutive days—despite earlier efforts by peace committees from both communities to resolve tensions.
Adding to the alarm, Sarma revealed that provocative posters attributed to a group called ‘Nabin Bangla’ had surfaced in Dhubri just before Eid. One such poster, containing inflammatory content and demands to include Dhubri in Bangladesh, was even found on Army infrastructure. “This is a serious security issue,” the Chief Minister said, linking the propaganda to attempts at destabilizing the region. In a post on social media platform X, Sarma provided a detailed account of the incidents and called them part of a well-orchestrated campaign to sow division. “A communal group is clearly active here. We are determined to uphold law and order and defeat any force that tries to divide Assam,” he wrote. The government has since ramped up security in the region, deploying both police and paramilitary forces to sensitive locations. Authorities have urged the public to remain calm and not be swayed by rumors or inflammatory messages.