Assam will withdraw one lakh “minor cases”, including those filed over alleged inflammatory social media posts, to reduce the burden on the judiciary, announced Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, reported PTI.

Sarma said the cases registered before midnight of August 14, 2021, will be withdrawn.

“This will enable the judiciary to focus on more heinous crimes such as rapes and murders,” he said, adding that four lakh pending cases in the lower courts.

At the Independence Day event, the chief minister also paid homage to freedom fighters who died for the country, reported ANI.

“Our freedom heroes made huge sacrifices to bring back the glory of this great nation and free its citizens,” he said. “We shall forever remain indebted to them.”

Sarma said his government will send 1,000 youths to Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on an educational tour to “help them get inspired by the sacrifices of our freedom fighters”.

Several freedom fighters were incarcerated by the British at the Cellular Jail, which is also known as Kala Pani.

On Monday, Sarma said that Assam is an integral part of India and that those who wanted sovereignty should return to the discussion table.

“Sovereignty is non-negotiable and Assam will never leave India,” he said in an apparent message to militant groups United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland who called for a boycott of Independence Day celebrations. They had also called for a shutdown in five northeastern states, including Assam.

Also read:

KR Meera: Free, secular, diverse and happy, ‘I can’t imagine India in any other way’