Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Monday faced the anger of the people in the violence-hit Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district, forcing him to wind up his visit ahead of schedule.
While several organisations, including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), protested against Gogoi’s visit to the areas with black flags, the victims shouted slogans against him to protest the government’s apathy towards them.
People also pelted stones at the vehicle of one of the Congress legislators, who accompanied Gogoi. No one was, however, injured during the incident.
To control angry people, security forces resorted to lathi-charge and blank firing at one of the relief camps in the district.
“The chief minister was unhurt but two vehicles at the rear of his convoy were damaged,” a senior police official said.
Gogoi met the top brass of the CRPF, which has been stationed along the Assam-Nagaland border since 1979 as neutral force, district and police officials to review the law and order situation.
The chief minister also asked the district administration to intensify security along the violence affected areas and directed them to make a report of the losses suffered by people affected by violence during the past one week.
Besides, Gogoi announced that the state government has decided to form Border Development Council and Border Protection Force for the betterment of people living in border areas.
“Local youth of the border areas will be engaged in the Border Protection Force,” he said.
Blaming the neutral force guarding the border, Gogoi said the CRPF, who had been posted there as neutral force, is entirely responsible for the violence. “They haven’t done their job properly,” Gogoi said.
“So far, altogether nine bodies have been retrieved from the restive areas. I have instructed the officials concerned to identify those who are still missing,” he said.
The Assam government had earlier stated that eleven persons have been killed during the violence that started at Uriamghat Aug 12. However, the government Monday clarified that only nine bodies have been recovered so far and search is on for two more bodies.