Harmeet Singh, Director General of Police of Assam, who is currently camping in Karbi Anglong, on Wednesday said that violence benefits no one and appealed to all sections of society to come together to restore peace after the recent unrest in the district.https://www.youtube.com/embed/28o8xoCKF-M?si=1yPz8c4Dj5t5iYyc
Speaking to reporters while taking stock of the situation, the DGP described the incident as “very unfortunate” and said it had caused loss to both society and the administration. He said a violent mob carried out vandalism and later attacked administrative personnel during the unrest.
“You have all seen that a very unfortunate incident took place yesterday. No one benefits from such incidents,” Singh said. He explained that during the violence, one person from the mob was injured and later died after a fire was set. According to initial information, the deceased was a differently-abled person who may not have been able to escape when the fire broke out. 
The DGP said the mob set fire to structures in the area and also brought out gas cylinders from a cylinder shop. “They placed cylinders around and ignited them as well. There were gas cylinders present, and that made the situation even more dangerous,” he said, adding that such acts could have led to much bigger casualties.
Singh made it clear that violence does not help in resolving grievances. “There are grievances, and whatever demands there are, they have been acknowledged,” he said. He informed that a tripartite meeting has already been scheduled within the next two to three days to address the issues raised by the protesters.
According to him, the meeting will involve representatives of the Assam government, the local council, and the people who are protesting or those who are leading the protest. “The government is ready to talk. Dialogue is the way forward,” he said.
The Assam DGP used the opportunity to make a strong public appeal for peace. Addressing parents, elders, educated citizens, and community leaders, Singh urged them to step forward and help calm the situation.
“Through you all, I want to appeal once again. I had appealed yesterday as well, and today I am appealing again—to all sections of society, to parents, to educated people, to elders,” he said. He stressed that restoring peace cannot be the responsibility of the police alone.
On the law-and-order situation, Singh said that the situation in Karbi Anglong is now fully under control. He pointed out that security forces have been deployed and that an Army column has conducted a route march in sensitive areas.
“You are aware that the situation is totally under control. You have seen that an army column has also conducted a march; in fact, they are outside right now,” he said. He added that he personally visited and covered the entire affected area to assess the ground situation.
However, the DGP cautioned that force alone cannot be the solution. “Once again, my appeal is that we should not control the situation only by force. Let us all come together. The entire society should unite and correct this situation,” he said.
Singh also referred to the role played by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in handling the crisis. He said the Chief Minister had taken prompt steps and announced the date for the proposed meeting to resolve the issue through discussion.
“You can see that the Honourable Chief Minister has taken the initiative and announced the date for the meeting. His tweet yesterday was full of sorrow, compassion, sympathy, and empathy,” Singh said. He appealed to people to respect these efforts and avoid further confrontation.
Highlighting the role of security forces, the DGP said that the police and central forces deployed in the area are also part of society and the country. “The police are also part of this society. The central forces who have come are also part of this society and this country. We are all citizens of the same country, and we must move forward together,” he said.
Explaining the sequence of events that led to police action, Singh said that all legal procedures were followed before any force was used. He said it was not just the police or local residents who tried to reason with the mob.
“As per law and legal procedure, the magistrate had already explained everything to them through a microphone in the afternoon itself,” he said. According to the DGP, the magistrate declared the gathering an unlawful assembly under the law and instructed the crowd to disperse.
Despite repeated warnings and clear communication, the mob did not comply, Singh said. “They were informed that it was an unlawful assembly, but they did not disperse,” he added. What followed was the attack on administrative personnel and widespread violence, which was captured on camera.
“What happened after that the attack; you all have seen it. You have the footage. I do not need to explain myself further,” the DGP said, indicating that visual evidence clearly shows how the situation escalated.
On the issue of accountability, Singh said that legal action will be taken strictly as per law. He emphasised that the Assam Police follows due process and maintains a clean record in such matters.
“As far as legal action is concerned, you know that the Assam Police is a professional force and our record is very clean and straightforward in such matters,” he said. He confirmed that a large amount of video footage has already been collected and will be used to identify those involved in the violence.
“Legal action, as required, will be taken. We have video footage; in fact, we have a large amount of video footage,” Singh added.
