BJP and AMSU at loggerheads over possession of recovered cattle

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, March 29: The recovery of 94 cattle from seven trucks on March 28 by the Bhogdoi Police and their subsequent detainment has put the police in an awkward position, especially after both the Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP) and the All Muslim Students’ Union (AMSU) are at loggerheads over the issue of possession of the cattle.

Talking to The Sentinel BJP State secretary, Santanu Puzari said, “Alert citizens from around the area under Bhogdoi outpost yesterday caught hold of the illegal cattle-carrying trucks and handed them over to the police. We came here on request from the citizens and we strongly suspect the involvement of a very strong gang of intertiol cattle smugglers who supply them to Bangladesh and other countries, the monthly transaction perhaps at several crores of rupees if accounted on an all-India basis. Just after these trucks were detained, people from different parts of Assam affiliated to many organizations have started flocking the Bhogdoi Outpost. Question is why? Had it been a small and normal selling/buying process we would have never objected. This is because of the involvement of the intertiol cattle smugglers who have a nexus with these unscrupulous traders.”

The State BJP Secretary further added, “The general public is agitated, especially in the area where we are standing right now. Just in the last 15 to 20 days more than 150 cattle have vanished from this area. The case registered by the police itself proves that the trucks were devoid of livestock carrying permit which is a non cognizable offence, besides cruelty to animals. From yesterday the cattle have not been fed with fodder and water until our people intervened to feed them and hence I demand that until the settlement of the issue, the cattle may be handed over to those who worship the animal.”

Meanwhile the collective leadership of AMSU reiterated, “The people involved in the trade of cattle legalized through the Bazaar committee are those local and tive people who are from a poor background and have no business other than carrying cattle from one weekly bazaar to another in a bid to derive some profit from their sale in order to sustain in their poor economic conditions. The AMSU demands that they must not be harassed unnecessarily. And if the cattle are found legal then they must be released immediately but should not be handed over to anyone other than remaining in police custody. We would appreciate stern punishment in case of any illegalities found and would welcome any decision deemed fit by the police and the Jorhat district administration to remove the impasse.”

Meanwhile, the police till the filing of the report has let off the trucks on a payment of Rs 2,500 as fine on per truck for carrying excessive load and carrying livestock without permit and the issue of the 98 cattle is expected to be amicably settled soon after the intervention of the district Superintendent of Police Amanjeet Kaur, as informed by police sources.