Simmering tension continued in Assam’s Tinsukia district where the anti-talk faction of Ulfa militants killed two civilians and injured seven others on Friday night, even as hundreds of people, particularly belonging to the Hindi Speaking community, took to the streets on Saturday demanding Home Minister Rajnath Singh to visit the place and assure security to the people.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday rushed two Ministers including Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Power Minister Pallab lochan Das to Philobari area to take stock of the situation. The locals, however, said that they would not perform the last rites of the two deceased until the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh or Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visits the area and ensure security of the people.
The locals blamed the police for failing to ensure their security and said that the militants have been targeting the Hindi Speaking community since 2000. “What the police do is only to file a case diary and forget the case. The police said that they had intelligence inputs about the incident that took place yesterday. If so why they did not intensify the security for our people,” said an agitating people of the area.
Sonowal has asked the top police officials to strengthen the security of the people and said that there would not be any compromise with the security of people, which is the top priority for the Government at Dispur.
“Such violence is against humanity and our government is committed to fight against those involve in the violence against innocent civilians,” said the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Director General of Assam Police, Mukesh Sahay said that 6,000 additional forces have been deployed in and around the state to intensify security arrangements ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.
“All the security forces including the police Army and paramilitary forces are working in tandem under the Unified command structure to face the challenge of the militants in the run up to Independence Day celebrations,” he said adding that the security forces had already averted several major attempts of the militants to carryout subversive activities.
“The 11 militant outfits of the region has come together to give the boycott call ahead of the Independence Day. We have foiled several of their attempts to carryout major disruptive activities in the state. So they are desperate now to make their presence felt and hence they are targeting soft targets, which are the Hindi Speaking people,” Sahay said while talking to The Pioneer today.
He said that the threat is not over but the police and security forces are taking all measures to face the challenge.