3 killed, 6 injured in intra-Bodo clashes

Guwahati, Mar 13 (UNI) At least three people died and six critically injured during a clash between the supporters of radical Bodo militants and ruling moderate Bodo factions in lower Assam's Chirang district today.

Superintendent of Police Pradeep Pujari said police resorted to fire on the supporters of the radical National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), when they tried to attack the supporters of the ruling Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF).

The incident occurred at Bengtol in the district at about 1100 hours, where about 200 supporters of the NDFB militants attacked the BPF cadres following dispute over a NDFB transit camp.

The three killed, included a women, police said adding that the injured have been rushed to Bongaigaon civil hospital.

The tension gripped the entire area and has now spread to entire Bodoland.

Both the factions have been fighting since long to have control over the Bodoland areas.

The BPF, which has control over the cash-rich Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is slowly trying to drive out the rival moderate faction as well as the radical NDFB militants groups.

The NDFB is under ceasefire agreement with the Centre for the past four years but there was no progress so far.

However, state government have accused the NDFB of its failure to prepare their charter of demands.

The clashes occurred following the soaps offered by the state budget to the Bodo dominated areas recently which was violently celebrated by the BPF supporters attacking the transit camps of the NDFB located at Bengtol.

UNI MT PP RL DS1511