Fresh clashes erupt between police, protesters
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies
Guwahati, August 20 2014:
Fresh clashes broke out in Assam's Golaghat district on Wednesday, with police opening fire on protesters, as per TV reports.
The police opened fire on protesters who were marching towards a blockade on the NH-37 .
Reports claimed that two persons have been killed in the fresh firing, but there was no official confirmation of the same.
Earlier this morning, a large number of people blocked the NH-37 by burning tyres and felling trees on the road at Borsapori, Borjuri and Kuruwabahi in protest against the police action in Rongajan in Golaghat district.
Also today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought a report from the Home Ministry on clashes that took place along Assam-Nagaland border.
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The development came after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, amid rising tensions on the border, blamed the Modi Government for failing to contain violence there.
The Centre, on its part, said it could only assist the State Government in containing the violence.
"The Centre can only deploy security forces, to regulate them is the State Government's job.
The Centre cannot be held responsible for failing to contain violence on the Assam-Nagaland border," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju asserted.
At least nine persons were killed on the Assam side of border on August 12 allegedly by armed groups from Nagaland.
After the killings, nearly 10,000 people fled their homes in seven villages of Golaghat district in Assam.
The Narendra Modi Government yesterday rushed around 1,000 additional paramilitary personnel for deployment along the Assam-Nagaland border.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is slated to meet his Nagaland counterpart TR Zeliang in Guwahati on August 21 to discuss the current problems in the border areas.