TMC MPs created unruly situation at Silchar airport: HM

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday appeared isolated in the Lok Sabha over its vociferous protests against the NRC at Silchar airport in Assam with the Congress, BJP and an Independent member counselling restraint on the issue.

Trinamool members forced an adjournment in the Lok Sabha claiming that a six-member delegation of party MPs was manhandled and arrested by the Assam Police at the Silchar airport on Thursday when they had gone there to make an on the spot assessment of the situation in the aftermath of the publication of the draft NRC.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh rejected the TMC's claims that its lawmakers were manhandled at the airport and said that due courtesies were extended to them.

"The delegation members created an unruly situation there which caused some inconvenience to the passengers who complained to the airport authorities," Singh said.

Congress member Gaurav Gogoi said the people of Assam have shown tremendous restraint despite their names not figuring in the draft NRC.

"Nobody is going to benefit by chest thumping and making aggressive speeches," Gogoi said.

Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said everyone should realise their own responsibility and refrain from instigating trouble.

"There is no civil war anywhere, there is no bloodbath anywhere...neither in Bengal nor in Assam. These issues have been raised deliberately to create a situation of sub-regionalism. This is very dangerous," Chowdhury said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Tuesday accused the BJP of trying to divide the people by using the issue of NRC.

"The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country," Mamata had said.

In the Lok Sabha, Naba Kumar Sarania, Independent member from Kokhrajhar, said people of Assam were disappointed at the atmosphere created across the country.

BJP member Bijoya Chakravarty accused the TMC of trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Assam by sending a delegation of MPs to the state where prohibitory orders were in place.