Assam Assembly adjourned over law and order situation

Guwahati, Mar 14 (UNI) The Assam Assembly was adjourned for 15 minutes today after the Opposition created a ruckus in the House, over the alleged deterioration in law and order situation in the state, especially in Bodoland.

The Opposition were demanding a statement from the government on the issue, who later later did so, although not before the Assembly witnessed heated exchanges and an adjournment.

At the end of the Question hour, Opposition leader Chandra Mohan Patowary urged the Speaker for a statement from the government on the recurrent violence in the state and the clashes between NDFB and BPF supporters in BTAD areas yesterday, which left four dead in police firing.

Speaker T B Rai pointed out that the government could not be asked to make a statement without previous notice, which brought the Opposition AGP, BJP, AUDF and Left parties, on their feet.

As the Opposition continued to create pandemonium in the House, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

State Cabinet Minister Rockybull Hussain, on behalf of the chief minister who holds the Home portfolio, later placed a statement on the law and order situation.

He informed that the clashes between National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) youth wing had erupted in Bengtol of Chirang district after the district administration tried to move the NDFB cadres in illegal camps in the area to designated camps.

The NDFB had been under ceasefire with the government since June 2005, and although all the cadres must stay in the three designated camps, about 200 of them were living in illegal camps in other parts of Bodoland Territorial Districts Area (BTAD).

Mr Hussain said police had to resort to firing after the NDFB cadres in Bengtol camp and local people resisted the administration's move to evict them and also attacked the nearby BPF youth wing office.

Four persons were killed and four others injured in the incident yesterday, while eight others were hurt in clashes between the NDFB and BPF the previous day, he added.

The minister said that though the situation was tense, it was under control and peace committees have been formed to mediate between the warring groups.

On the recent blasts in the state, he said the government, while condemning such violence, has taken the matter gravely and instructed its machinery to check the recurrence.

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