Now, violence in Assam over demand for Karbi Anglong state

Guwahati, July 31: Violence erupted in Assam today in support of a separate Karbi Anglong state in which houses of a Congress MP and MLA were attacked, prompting the police to fire in the air to quell them.

Demanding that a separate state be carved out of Assam along the lines of Telangana, the agitators belonging to several organisations gheraoed the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in Diphu and locked its main gate, official sources said.

They threw stones at the houses of Congress MP Birensing Ingti, MLA Bidyasing Engleng, Council's chief executive member Joyram Engleng and its executive member Tuliram Ronghang and damaged their property.

The agitators, who belonged to Karbi Students Association, Karbi Riso Adorba and other organisations, even broke the gate of Engleng's residence and damaged the cars parked in the compound, the sources said.

This prompted the police to fire several rounds in the air near the house but no injury to any person was reported. At Ronghang's residence, tractors and cars parked there were set ablaze by the agitators, the sources said.

The leaders of the various organisations said the demand was made as far back as in 1951 and have threatened to continue their stir if no action was immediately taken by the Centre.

PTI