M A I N   N E W S

assam-nagaland border row
2 die in police firing; Rajnath dials Gogoi
Tribune News Service 2 die in police firing; Rajnath dials Gogoi
Tribune News Service

A truck set on fire by protesters on National Highway-39 at Pura Bangla in Golaghat, Assam, on Wednesday. PTI

Guwahati, August 20
At least two persons were killed and over 15 injured when the police opened fire on protesters in Golaghat town of eastern Assam. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll at three.

The protesters claimed the government had failed to protect people in the violence-hit Assam-Nagaland border area. They also accused the police of committing atrocities in the Rangajan area of Golaghat district.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take stock of the situation arising out of the spell of violence along the trouble-torn boundary. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) AP Raut said at least two persons were killed when the police opened fire on a mob, armed with spears and machetes, as it tried to approach Golaghat town around 3.30 pm.

He said the police opened fire after they were attacked by the mob in the Arengapar area on the outskirts of Golaghat. The mob took over police pickets as they marched towards the town from Rangajan.

Seven seriously injured persons were taken to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. At least 16 police personnel were also injured in the violence, he said.

The incident occurred a few hours after Gogoi accused the BJP-led Central Government of not being serious in curbing the flare-up that occurred along the disputed boundary on August 12-13.

Earlier in the day, mobs protesting government’s failure to protect border villages from marauding Naga miscreants ran riot in various parts of Golaghat district.

The protesters burnt down vehicles, including two trucks bearing Nagaland registration numbers and a CRPF vehicle, and beat up two police officers — Naba Kuma Deka and Arun Sharma — in different parts of the district following a district-wide bandh called by the Assam Tea Tribes Students Union (ATTSU).

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) activists broke security barricades and stormed the state Assembly complex in Guwahati.

The KMSS submitted a memorandum to the Speaker demanding his intervention.

Gogoi today urged the CRPF deployed along the disputed border to seize illegal weapons to prevent attacks on villagers by allegedly armed Naga miscreants.

“Many quarters have blamed me and my government for the border flare-up, but why don’t they blame Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh or the BJP government at the Centre? The Union Government is responsible for keeping peace along the disputed boundary with Nagaland.