Disturbing video: 2 dead as Assam police open fire, thrash 'encroachers'

Two persons were shot dead and at least seven policemen were injured in a clash when the Assam Police were carrying out a drive to evict encroachers in Darrang district of the northeastern state on Thursday.

A disturbing video from Garukhuti in Dholpur area shows police firing on unarmed civilians after locals protested against an eviction drive against 800 Muslims families from a large swath of land that belongs to a state farming project.

The video further shows a journalist lynching and desecrating what appears to be a lifeless body of a protestor after he falls down when policemen assault him with batons.

Following the eviction drive on Monday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had tweeted that by carrying out the eviction drive he had fulfilled a promise he made during the election campaign this year.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Assam’s BJP government after the video went viral. Rahul tweeted, Assam is on state-sponsored fire and he stands in solidarity with brothers and sisters in the northeastern state.