Guwahati, Nov 11 Two youth were arrested by police in Guwahati on Monday for a controversial artwork to mark a protest against the felling of trees in the city to construct a railway bridge mocking Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, officials said.
The arrested youths were identified as Angkuman Bordoloi, the publicity secretary of Jatiya Yuba Bahini, the youth wing of Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal, and Marshal Baruah, an artist and environmental activist.
They were arrested on several charges, including criminal intimidation and unlawful assembly. A non-bailable charge under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act was also imposed on them.
Baruah and Bordoloi were denied bail by the Court and they were subsequently sent to judicial custody. Another person, Kamal Kumar, who was detained alongside them, was released without facing any charges.
The controversy was created over a painting made as part of a protest against the planned uprooting of around 80 trees to make way for the overbridge in the Bharalumukh area of the city.
The initial painting contained a word involving Sarma that was deemed “objectionable”, though it was reportedly removed and replaced with another slogan.
Meanwhile, protests also happened over tree cutting in the city for building flyovers in the city, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited the Dighalipkuri area in the city, which has become a bone of contention for the past several days.
Sarma visited the site with PWD officials and took stock of the situation. He assured that the government is committed to preserving the heritage of the city.
The state government has planned to build a flyover from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati locality in the city and due to this the authorities marked some 200-year-old trees for felling in Dighalipukhuri.
However, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his government is committed to preserving the heritage and ecological balance of the city.
He said, “I want to assure you that the government is deeply committed to preserving our city’s heritage and environment while advancing infrastructure. In constructing the flyovers from Dighalupukhuri to Noonmati, we are sincerely working to protect the old trees in the area.”
“I urge all stakeholders to allow the Public Works Department a few days to explore an alternative proposal and assess its feasibility,” he added.
Sarma also visited the Dighalipukhuri area in the city, which has become a bone of contention for the past several days as the government has planned to build a flyover here that may see the uprooting of some 200-year-old trees in that locality.
Sarma visited the site with PWD officials and took stock of the situation. He mentioned that no tree will be uprooted and he has directed to alter the design of the proposed flyover.
--IANS
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