Centre will not tolerate violence in Assam: Jaiswal

Guwahati, Aug 14 (UNI) The Centre will ''no longer tolerate violence in Assam'' and continue with the carrot and the stick policy.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said that tough army action would be initiated if the militants did not fall in line and come to the negotiation table.

He met Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, reviewed the situation and visited the affected Karbi Anglong areas, where 29 Hindi speaking people had been killed, with a high-level team of the ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), braving inclement weather.

'' We are ready for negotiations. The gun can never find a solution,'' he said, holding out the carrot and the stick policy.

''What has happened is unfortunate. Assam is a place where communities from different part of India have been living peacefully for years. If they think the gun is the solution then they are wrong,'' the told newspersons.

The Centre and the state today decided to take a tough stance in Karbi Anglong and strategically allowed the Army a free hand.

He said it would take more than a fortnight to move in the additional 15 companies of the para military companies promised by the Centre.

The Army have already moved in and more companies are inducted into the district, which is the second largest in India, but has just three police stations because of which the militants are having a free run.

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