Home Ministry team arrives in Assam

GUWAHATI, DEC. 2. Top Home Ministry officials reached Assam to chalk out a strategy to stop the mindless massacre, that claimed more than 70 lives, even as politicking continued over the dead. The team led by the joint secretary, Mr. G. K. Pillai, and consisting of top Intelligence Bureau officers and CRPF beside the SIB officers would attend a specially summoned `strategy group' meeting of the unified command.

However, the mudslinging continued unabated between the Congress and the ruling AGP with each accusing the other for the killings. The Congress today urged the AGP to stop politicking on the issue. Meanwhile, the head of the unified command, Lt. Gen. Mahesh Vij, GoC of the 4 Corps, commander of the two mountain divisions and the top brass of the Assam police were meeting later today to chalk out a strategy against the ongoing massacre that had left more than 70 people dead.

The Central team would also monitor the situation before giving the report to Mr. L. K. Advani, who had a meeting with the top officers of the ministry about Assam situation, sources said.

Centre blamed for `callous attitude'

The Congress today accused the Centre of adopting a `callous' attitude towards killings in the State which ``warranted immediate imposition of President's rule''. ``Terrible insecurity and panic have gripped the Hindi-speaking people of the state following the recent killings, but the centre is indifferent and callous,'' the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr. Tarun Gogoi, told reporters here.

``The Centre has gone into a deep slumber and only yesterday they woke up in Parliament to discuss the situation,'' Mr. Gogoi said.

``We do not want to make the matter political but want the Government to punish anyone involved in the crime including the ULFA,'' he said.

He also demanded a high level judicial inquiry by a judge of either High Court or Supreme Court into killings as the magisterial probe ordered by the State Government ``would yield no result''.

The State unit chief of BJP, Mr. Rajen Gohain, has condemned the killing and urged the Government to take strong steps to maintain law and order.

Mr. Gohain, along with the Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Mr. Bijoya Chakraborty, met Mr. Advani in New Delhi yesterday and urged him to send additional companies of paramilitary forces to Assam.

Police deny negligence

Meanwhile, the Bongaigaon Superintendent of Police, Mr. A. K. Saharia, has said that the police has got definite proof of ULFA militant Biju Chakraborty's involvement in the crime and that a ``rigorous operation'' is on to nab him and his colleagues. ``We have received clues that the ULFA action group under the command of Chakraborty had masterminded the massacre,'' Mr. Saharia said.

While denying there was any negligence on the part of the district police, the SP said that the areas targetted by the militants were scattered and interior and were not approachable by road.

``Judging by the trend of the killing (of members belonging to a particular family) it was evident that the ULFA ultras had some personal grudge as Hindi-speaking people living in the nearby areas were not harmed,'' he said.

BLT bandh hits normal life

Life was paralysed in Assam's Karbi Anglong hill district following a 12-hour district-wide bandh called by the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) from 5 a.m. today, official sources said. The BLT called the bandh in protest against the killing of autonomous district council executive member J. M. Basumatary yesterday by suspected UPDS militants at his residence at Diphu, the district headquarters town. Shops and business establishments remained closed and private vehicles were off the road.

Mahanta appeals for calm

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today appealed to the people, Hindi-speaking people in particular, not to panic because of the killings, as the death toll in the Bongaigaon incident rose to 19 with an injured succumbing to his wounds in the Guwahati Medical College Hospital last night.

With this, the overall death toll in violence in Assam's Bongaigaon and Karbi Anglong districts since last Thursday rose to 23. ``The people should patiently assess the recent incidents of senseless killings where the diabolic designs of certain political and anti-national forces become evident,'' Mr. Mahanta said here.

The Government had pursued violence with dogged determination as a result of which the extremists were in a disarray with over 80 per cent of the ultras surrendering.

``Political forces and the extremists and their foreign mentors, unable to accept this, are today targeting innocent people to destabilize society,'' the Chief Minister said.

On the motive behind the killing, the Chief Minister, who visited the site yesterday, said that the ultras possibly felt that the Centre would react to the situation if Hindi- speaking people are targetted.

He urged the Centre to take ``urgent'' steps to tackle the Bodo and ULFA rebels taking shelter in foreign countries.

- UNI, PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Next     : "Centre will consider President's rule"