Assam : Amid mounting criticism from the Opposition over the  government’s “extreme action against criminals”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Saturday said that his critics should spare a thought for the families that have been destroyed by drug dealers before denouncing the Assam Police as “trigger happy”.

Since Sarma took over in May, at least 23 people — many of whom were alleged drug peddlers, cattle smugglers and dacoits — have been shot at while in police custody, with five dead. While the Opposition has criticised the firings, bringing up the issue several times during the Budget session of the Assembly, Sarma reiterated that he has given the police “full operational freedom” to take the “toughest of actions” within the ambit of law to deal with criminals. “The Assam police will set its own boundaries — as long as they are within the law,” he said.

“We can’t allow an Udta Punjab, nor an Udta Assam,” he added, in reference to the 2016 Hindi film on drug abuse among youths in Punjab. Sarma also said that many extremist organisations in the Northeast — barring ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) — were utilising innocent boys by making them “drug savvy”.

“Drug peddling is encouraging militancy and destroying the social fabric of our state,” he said, adding that the drug supply and consumption chain in the entire Northeast needs to be snapped.

the Drugs Disposal campaign, 11.88 kg morphine, 2.89 kg crystal meth, 3.47 kg heroin, 102.91 kg cannabis and 2,03,384 tablets were burnt in Diphu, while 802 gm heroin, 1205 kg ganja, 3 kg opium and 206906 tablets were burnt in Golaghat.

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