The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for releasing and producing the controversial two-part documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ which questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the infamous 2002 Godhra riots and his effect in rise of militant Hindu nationalism in India.

BJP legislator Bhubon Pegu raised the issue through Private Members’ Resolution, claiming that the UK national broadcaster has challenged India’s democratically elected government, judiciary and free press via its “malicious” agenda-driven two-part documentary.

The BJP MLA, while calling the 2002 Gujarat riots as a “spontaneous reaction” to the Godhra train burning, alleged that the “calculated” timing of the contentious documentary revealed it was a deliberate attempt at tarnishing the image of PM Modi and India at a time when G20 meetings are being organized in the country under India’s presidency.

Pegu claimed that BBC cannot “digest” the fact that India has surpassed the UK to become the world’s fifth largest economy and as was trying to defame India, adding that an “international conspiracy” is also being orchestrated against India.

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The saffron party MLA demanded “strictest possible” action against the BBC for its “malicious and dangerous agenda to instigate religious communities and flare religious tension” by airing the documentary.

The resolution was supported by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who pointed out that that the Supreme Court had given a clean chit to PM Modi after carefully examining all aspects of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The resolution was opposed by CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar who said that the topic of the resolution doesn’t have anything to do with Assam as none of them have even watched the documentary film. He asked if MLA Pegu had watched it and if other members of the assembly could also screen it with the BJP leader.

Talukdar was supported by the Opposition members who then raised a demand to screen the documentary in the House before the resolution could be discussed.

Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, Independent member Akhil Gogoi and AIUDF legislator Karim Uddin Barbhuiya demanded that Speaker Biswajit Daimary allow screening the piece to understand its content and then have a discussion on the resolution.

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The Assam government on Sunday suspended the IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma in connection with the alleged financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds. Sharma was working as a secretary to the Assam government’s Agriculture Department.

As per the official notification, Sewali Devi Sharma opened five bank accounts without the approval of the Assam government during her tenure as the Executive cum Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

It was also reported that FRBM rules were not followed in respect of those five bank accounts. The notification further stated that a report of enquiry on the functioning of ODL under SCERT found financial irregularities and very credible references to the misappropriation of funds.

The Joint Secretary of the Assam Government signed the notification stating that Sharma has been suspended from the post of Secretary of Assam’s Agriculture Department with immediate effect. Sewali Devi Sharma’s suspension is placed under rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Disciple and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

The Assam government has also suspended Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers for alleged financial irregularities in the execution of projects under the MP Local Area Development Fund.

The officers who are suspended are Assam’s Home and Political Department Secretary Sharmistha Borah, Additional Commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan Sukandya Borah, Hemanta Kumar Dutta, Tinsukia Zila Parishad CEO Munindra Bordoloi. According to the reports, all the accused have been placed under immediate suspension, pending the drawal of departmental proceedings.

The report stated that Rs 28 lakhs were allocated from the Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan’s MPLAD Fund for the construction of three roads in Barpeta, however, no roads were constructed and the funds that were allocated were withdrawn by submitting fake road construction bills.

Day after he gave out a “ratio” of Hindu vs Muslim arrest during last month’s crackdown on child marriages in Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Friday, made another comment which could spark a controversy saying that his state and India on the whole doesn’t need madrassas, instead requires more colleges, schools and universities.

Sarma, while speaking at a rally meant for ‘Shiva Charithe’, at Belgavi’s Shivaji Maharaj Garden in poll-bound Karnataka, said that his government has shut down 600 madrassas and intends to close them all down in Assam.

The BJP chief minister claimed that Bangladeshi migrants who come to Assam for work are a “threat to our civilization and culture”, adding that that India needs engineers and doctors, not madrassas.

Asked to elaborate, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that “new India needs schools, colleges, and universities, not madrassas.”

The Assam chief minister has in the past spoke out about his intentions to shutter madrassas and closely monitor the education imparted at these institutions. Sarma in 2020 enacted a law for facilitating the conversion of state-run madrassas into “regular schools.”

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At the time Sarma had said that Assam police was working with Bengali Muslims who have “a positive attitude towards education, to create a good environment” in the madrassas, adding that science and mathematics will also be taught in the madrassas, and the right to education respected and a database of teachers maintained.

At present, there are nearly 3,000 registered and unregistered madrassas operating in Assam.

On Wednesday, Sarma claimed that his regime ensured that almost an equal number of Hindus and Muslims were arrested in last month’s clampdown to allay fears that the action was not deemed communal in nature.

Speaking during his reply to a discussion on Vote of Thanks on the Governor’s speech in Assam Assembly’s Budget session, Sarma fired shots at the Opposition saying “I got some of our people pickup up too because you all feel bad”, while also revealing that the ratio of arrests of Muslims to Hindus since the February 3 crackdown is 55:45.

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