No scope for talks with NDFB, says Rajnath
Terming the recent violence in Assam as “an act of terrorism,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday ordered the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the militant attacks, while ruling out any possibility of dialogue with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) faction that killed 73 civilians across three districts of Assam on Tuesday.
During his visit to the violence-hit areas of Sonitpur and Kokrajhar, Singh also hinted at launching a massive operation against the rebels across the State and neighbouring regions.
Refusing to divulge much about the operation in neighbouring countries, Singh revealed that the Government had already taken up the matter with Bhutan and Myanmar. There is also the possibility of a joint operation against the militants hiding in neighbouring countries — similar to ‘Operation All Clear in 2003’ which was carried out jointly with the Royal Bhutan Army to flush out Indian militants.
“This is not a mere incident of insurgency. It is an act of terrorism and we are going to deal with it as we deal with terrorism,” he said while reiterating the zero-tolerance policy of the NDA Government. “We want to get everyone who were involved in the killings and that is why we have decided to institute an NIA probe into the killings,” he said.
“Now there will be no talks or dialogue. Now there will be only action against them (the militants). They have killed a five- month-old child by putting the barrel of the gun in his mouth. This is barbaric. There should be time bound action against them now,” he said while hinting that there would be massive operations against the militants soon.
“I have also asked the state government to spell out time-bound action against the militants. The State government will receive all the required help from the Centre. We have already rushed 50 companies of central paramilitary forces to the state and the Army and the Assam Rifles will cooperate with the forces in containing the situation,” he said.
Singh was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Tribal Affairs Jewer Oram, senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, State DGP Khagen Sarma, Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla and some other senior bureaucrats of Assam.
The Home Minister also refuted the reports that this was a case of ‘ethnic killing’. “This is no ethnic killing. This is an act of terrorism and terrorists have no cast and no creed,” he said while appealing the people of the state tocooperate and maintain peace.
Singh also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken the matter very seriously. “He (Modi) wants to develop the region but there are some forces which are trying to obstruct. But we will win over,” he said. Meanwhile, the situation in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Sonitpur district in Assam have remained tense till Thursday even as night curfew continued in most parts of the district to stop further escalation of the violence.
There have been reports of burning of houses in different locations of the state. However, there is no official confirmation over this. The Assam police have said that the adequate deployment of forces have been done in the violence affected areas and also to secure the lives of those who had taken shelter in relief camps.”