Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who went to visit the violence-hit people along the Assam-Nagaland border on Monday, faced the anger of the victims forcing him to wind up his visit before schedule.
An irate mob, comprising mostly people displaced by the recent violence on the Assam-Nagaland border, attacked the convoy of the CM when he was leaving after paying a visit to a relief camp in the affected Golaghat district.
Gogoi escaped unhurt but two security vehicles in the rear end of his motorcade were partially damaged in stone-pelting by protesters. What ventilated their ire was that Gogoi was visiting them a week after eruption of the violence.
The protesters shouted slogans and hurled a volley of questions to Gogoi when he neared a relief camp at Uriamghat, around 15km inside the inter-State border. In the din, the Chief Minister tried to say something to the protesters but could hardly be heard. Around five minutes later as he was leaving, the vehicles in the rear end of his convoy were attacked by the protesters who were armed with stones.
The police used batons and fired tear gas shells, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the mob. One person was injured in the police action. later, talking to journalists at Sarupathar, Gogoi said his Government would raise a border protection force and create a border development council.
“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,” the Chief Minister said even as he blamed the CRPF for its ‘failure’ to contain the violence.
“I don’t mind people’s criticism … The CRPF, who had been posted there as neutral force, is entirely responsible for the violence. They haven’t done their job,” Gogoi said. As a ‘neutral force’, the CRPF has been looking after the law and order in six sectors of the disputed area belt along Assam-Nagaland border since 1979.