Coronavirus: Assam MLA Arrested For Controversial Remark On COVID-19 Quarantine Centres

Assam Coronavirus Cases: MLA Aminul Islam was arrested on Tuesday morning.

An opposition MLA in Assam has been arrested for allegedly making controversial statements about the condition of quarantine facilities and hospitals for coronavirus patients in the state. The MLA allegedly called the conditions in the quarantine facilities "worse than detention centres".

In an audio clip, purportedly of MLA Aminul Islam and another person, he allegedly said that the coronavirus quarantine centres in Assam are dangerous and worse than detention centres meant for illegal migrants.

Mr Islam also had accused the BJP government in Assam of conspiring against Muslims. He also alleged that the medical staff at the quarantine centres was harassing the those who had returned from last month's religious congregation at a mosque Delhi's Nizamuddin area and that they were giving injections to healthy individuals to portray them as sick and coronavirus patients.

More than one-third of the total number of coronavirus cases in India is linked to the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat that organised the event in Delhi.

The Assam government has transformed two stadiums, including the Saru Sojai Stadium in Guwahati, into makeshift quarantine facilities with a total of 2,000 beds and has ensured that all 33 districts have designated treatment centres for coronavirus patients.

Aminul Islam, All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF) MLA from Dhing constituency in Assam's Nagaon district, was detained by Assam Police for questioning on Monday night and was formally arrested on Tuesday morning, senior Assam police officials told NDTV.

Assam police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said the state assembly speaker has been informed about the development.

Aminul Islam is known for incendiary remarks in the past.

The state witnessed a big spike in the number of cases last Saturday. Out of its 26 coronavirus positive cases, 25 were people who had taken part in the Nizamuddin gathering. The Assam government has ramped up testing for early detection of the virus.