Assam-Nagaland border row: Judicial probe ordered into killings, Rijiju to meet CMs

August 21, 2014

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Guwahati, Aug 21: Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju is likely to meet chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland on Thursday as the border row between the two states intensified and two people were killed in police firing after curfew was clamped in Golaghat on Wednesday.

After Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi blamed the central government for not taking the situation seriously, Rijiju refuted his charges, and said, "I will meet chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland, chief secretaries and senior police officials."

Quashing Gogoi's claims, he added, "Gogoi cannot blame us. It is a very irresponsible statement from the chief minister."

"The centre has already said border dispute can only be solved after negotiations between two states. The government at the centre can only assist during the talk."

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has ordered a judicial probe into the firing, while regional political party AGP has called for a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk shutdown Thursday.

The violence in Assam's Golaghat district erupted about a week ago. Violence erupted after armed groups from Nagaland allegedly attacked villagers in Assam, leading to several deaths and also rendered thousand homeless.

Hundreds of men and women took to the streets in Rongajan and Arengapathar areas in the district to denounce "police atrocities" Tuesday which left one person dead and 20 injured.

The trouble erupted over a border conflict between the two states.

On Wednesday, police first used batons to disperse the crowd but failed to restore order.

The crowd became unruly and attacked many vehicles on the roads in Rongajan. They also targeted public property, a police official said.

This forced police to fire at the mob, he said.

Of the 14 injured, nine were taken to the Jorhat Medical College Hospital, said Assam Home Commissioner G.D. Tripathy.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Wednesday blamed the central government for the trouble along the Assam-Nagaland border and said the Narendra Modi government had not taken the issue seriously.

"It was unfortunate that one person died. We have ordered an inquiry and a senior police official has been suspended," Gogoi said.

"The neutral force (CRPF) deployed in the border is responsible for law and order," he went on.

"I take my responsibility as chief minister but the Centre, particularly the home minister, is also responsible. They have not been taking the matter as seriously as they should have," Gogoi said.

Gogoi said he had taken up the matter with his Nagaland counterpart T.R. Zeliang. He asked police to use non-lethal weapons like rubber bullets and water cannons while dealing with mass protests.

Police had Tuesday used batons and fired rubber bullets to disperse an equally emotive mob.

One demonstrator was run over by a speeding truck as he tried to escape the police baton-charge in Rongajan. This inflamed passions further.

Gogoi said he has decided to institute a judicial probe by a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court into the police firing in Golaghat district Wednesday.

"We would leave no stone unturned to find out the truth behind the firing incident," the chief minister said in a statement.

Gogoi also appealed to individuals, organisations, political leaders and the media to exercise restraint and to join in the government's efforts to restore normalcy in the violence affected areas.

"I appeal to everyone to cooperate with the government in bringing back peace to the affected areas. It is only through dialogue and understanding that we can resolve our problems amicably," he said.

Assam's regional political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has called for a 12-hour dawn to dusk shutdown Tursday protesting the state government's failure to protect the people living in the Assam-Nagaland border, against "police atrocities" and the central government's silence over the crisis.

The shutdown will begin from 5 am, AGP president Atul Bora told reporters.

All emergency services including medical, media, issues related to relief camps, examinees, water and food and civil supplies, were exempted, he said.

The AGP will also stage protest demonstrations across the state Friday and a "Border Chalo" programme Aug 25 demanding security for the people there.

"The problem on the Assam-Nagaland border has been continuing for a long time but Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has not done anything to solve the crisis. The government today (Wednesday) asked police and security forces to attack innocent civilians in the most brutal manner," Bora said.

The party also sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, seeking their immediate intervention in the matter.

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May 5,2024

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Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar waded into controversy after he alleged that an RSS-affiliated cop, and not terrorist Ajmal Kasab, killed former state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

In a video statement released on Saturday, the Congress leader alleged that the bullet that killed IPS officer Hemant Karkare did not come from the gun of Ajmal Kasab or any of the other nine Pakistani terrorists involved in the attacks.

Instead, he claimed it came from the weapon of a police officer allegedly "dedicated to" the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Wadettiwar also accused Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor in the case and a BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Mumbai North Central, of suppressing this information, labeling him a "traitor."

He questioned the BJP's decision to nominate Nikam for the Lok Sabha polls, accusing the party of protecting traitors.

“During the probe, key information was out. However, it was suppressed by Ujjwal Nikam, who is a traitor. My question is, why is BJP protecting a traitor and nominating such a person for Lok Sabha polls? By doing this, BJP is protecting traitors," Wadettiwar alleged, Times of India reported.

These allegations drew strong responses from Nikam and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Nikam condemned Wadettiwar's statement as "baseless and irresponsible," expressing pain at the doubts raised over his integrity.

He emphasized the legal steps taken to convict Kasab, calling Wadettiwar's remarks an insult to the victims of the 26/11 attacks.

“What a reckless statement is being made. I am pained by such baseless allegations, raising doubts over my integrity. It clearly reflects the level of electoral politics. I never thought politicians will stoop to such low levels. For political gain? He (Wadettiwar) is insulting not me, but the 166 departed souls and all persons injured in the 26/11 attacks," Nikam said.

He added, “They (Congress) hold Kasab as innocent. Even Pakistan had accepted that Kasab was involved in the conspiracy and in the terror attack on India and was guilty".

He said Indians very well know the legal steps he had taken to ensure Kasab’s conviction.

Nikam said citizens of the nation would on 4 June, the day of results for Lok Sabha polls, give their reply to such allegations, adding he wished not to dignify the “desperate disinformation” with a further response.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Deputy CM Fadnavis said, “Our alliance is with Nikam, while Congress has joined hands with Kasab".

Shiv Sena spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar said NIA should arrest Wadettiwar and ask him why he was defending Kasab.

Pawaskar criticized the Congress for allegedly supporting terrorists and expressed surprise at the silence of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on the matter.

“From Wadettiwar’s statement, it appears Congress is supporting terrorists who attacked Mumbai. More shocking is the fact that Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has maintained silence over the episode,” he said.

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April 26,2024

Palakkad: Three voters from Palakkad, Malappuram and Alappuzha, and a polling agent in Kozhikode died in seperate incidents in Kerala on Friday.

A man collapsed and died after casting his vote at Vani Vilasini in Chunangad, Ottapalam here on Friday. The deceased Chandran (68) hailed from Modernkattil  in Chunangad. Though rushed to the Ottapalam taluk hopsital, he was declared dead on arrival. Palakkad had recorded a high temperature of 40 degree Celsius on Thursday.

A Madrassa teacher, who came home after voting, collapsed and died. The deceased Alikkannakkal Tharakkal Siddhique (63) was the first voter at the polling station in Vallikkanjiram School at Niramaruthur Grama Panchayat in Tirur.

Kakkazham Veiliparambu Somarajan (82), who voted and returned home from the Kakkazham SN VT High School in Alappuzha also collapsed and died. He was a voter from booth 138.

In another instance, a polling agent died after collapsing at a booth in Kuttichira, Kozhikode on Friday. Maliyekkal Anees (66), a retired KSEB engineer from Haluwa Bazaar, was LDF's polling agent at the 16th booth in Kuttichira Government Vocational Higher Secondary School. He collapsed while doing his duty in the polling booth by 8.30 am. Though rushed to the Government General Hospital, he died by 9.15am. He is survived by wife Adakkani Veettil Zereena, childrens  Fayis Ahammed, Fadhil Ahammed, Akhil Ahammed and Bilal Ahammed.

A man also died in bike accident en route to polling booth in Malappuram on Friday. The deceased is Saidu Haji (75) of Neduvan. The bike rammed a lorry near BM School in Parappanangadi.

Polling began at 7am in all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala on Friday. 

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April 24,2024

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Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the 'vote bank hungry' party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.

Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi also said the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the rights of people's children.

Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "I.N.D.I." alliance in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said.

"Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said.

When the Constitution was being drafted, it was decided under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India, he said.

"If there will be reservation then it will be for by Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said.

"But the vote bank hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," Modi said.

They talked about implementing 15 per cent reservation on the basis of religion and said it will be done after curtailing the quota of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, he added.

In its 2009 manifesto, Congress's intention was the same and in the 2014 manifesto, it clearly said it will not leave this issue, the prime minister said.

The Congress wanted to change the Constitution and hand over rights of the SCs, STs and OBCs to its vote bank, he said.

The intention of the Congress is not good, it is not according to the Constitution, social justice and secularism. If anyone can protect your reservation, it is the BJP, Modi said.

"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.

Do you know to whom they will distribute it after 'looting' it from you? Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.

"I need not to tell you to whom they will distribute," he added.

Modi further said the 'dangerous intentions' of Congress are coming to forth one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.

"The advisor of shehzada of the shahi parivar, who was also the advisor to the shehzada's father, had said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard. Now the Congress says it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," he said without taking any name.

The Congress' mantra is 'loot of Congress zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi', he said.

"They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added.

The PM also said he had come to seek people's blessings for a developed Chhattisgarh and a developed India.

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