23 held for Assam lynching, 26 for misusing social media

Guwahati, June 11 (IANS) A total of 23 people have been arrested for the lynching of two youth in Assam's Karbi Anglong on Friday, while 26 more have been arrested under a crackdown launched against misuse of social media, police said on Monday.

A rumour about presence of some child snatchers was spread through social media by a section of people in and around Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong in past few days and the mob that lynched to death Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath on Friday mistook the duo to be child snatchers.

"While police have arrested 26 people since last night for posting hate messages on social media over the lynching of two youths in Karbi Anglong district by villagers, a total of 23 people have been caught for their involvement in lynching the two," said Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Agarwala.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has decided to to introduce a programme 'Sanskar' in all the development blocks and gaon panchayats very soon in view of incidents triggered by sheer ignorance and superstitions in the state in the last few months.

The programme will be replicated throughout the state on mission mode so that it can create a deterrent against superstitions and all its manifestations. 

"Assam is known all over India for its unique hospitality and people coming from all over the country must feel an ambience of friendliness where ever they in the state," said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while urging the authority concerned to frame modalities of the programme and a suitable roadmap should be created to implement it at all levels of the state so that any unfortunate situation does not arise in the state due to superstitions.

With the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council as the nodal agency, the programme will encompass all Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and all concerned government departments in a districts. 

Moreover, all local bodies, mahila samiti, voluntary organizations, media persons, leading citizens, academicians, MPs and MLAs from ruling and opposition parties will be the stake holders of the programme. Social activists like Birubala Rabha, who has been fighting tirelessly against witch-hunting, will also be involved in the programme.