Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today addressed the violent incident outside Baksa District Jail that took place on Wednesday and provided clarifications on the ongoing Zubeen Garg case during a press conference.
The Chief Minister said that the Assam Police, led by ASP Gitartha Dev Sharma had to use baton charge when the five accused in the Zubeen Garg case were being taken to Baksa jail. “According to the rule of law, any police action, whether baton charge or firing, will be fully investigated. An inquiry will be done to find out why such steps were necessary,” he said.
CM Sarma also spoke about ASP Gitartha Deb Sharma’s father. He said, “Earlier, his father was a supporter of Zubeen and was against me. But yesterday, he posted on Facebook and changed his stance. And yesterday, his son, ASP Gitartha, was involved in maintaining law and order. An investigation will follow. If a bullet comes out of a weapon, it is always investigated. As a Chief Minister, I have to be reasonable. I cannot act against the police or the public.” 
He added that the government would have been responsible for the injuries of two people during the incident, “If those injured had died, who would have been responsible..the government. The CM condemned the violence adding that the unrest was triggered when two journalists called people from nearby villages for interviews which led to the crowd gathering. “As a CM, I cannot act against journalists directly. However, their names and newspapers will be mentioned in the state affidavit,” he said.
Regarding the choice of Baksa jail, the Chief Minister said that the court directed the government to place the accused in jails within a one- to two-hour range from Guwahati. While options included Nalbari, Mangaldai, Morigaon and Baksa, the Baksa jail was empty at the time and there was minimal chance of any untoward incident. He dismissed claims of VIP facilities in the jail and said, “A jail is a jail. There is no AC, no special bed; just standard security. The only reason for choosing Baksa was safety.”
Speaking on the Zubeen Garg case, CM Sarma announced measures to ensure swift justice. “We will provide justice through a fast-track court. A special government lawyer will be appointed,” he said.
