Assam Police stop vehicles moving in to Shillong and Meghalaya fearing backlash, following border firing incident near Assam-Meghalaya border.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A day after violence at the Assam-Meghalaya border, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on November 23 alleged that the BJP’s North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) has failed the Northeast and called on Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the border dispute between the two States.
Six people, including a forest guard, were killed in violence at the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border in the early hours of November 22 after a truck laden with illegally felled timber, was allegedly intercepted by forest guards from Assam.
“Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at the Assam-Meghalaya border. 6 precious lives were lost,” Mr. Kharge said in a tweet. “BJP’s NEDA has failed North East. It is hightime the Union Home Minister resolved the border dispute between two States before things turn more hostile,” the Congress president said. “Let there be peace,” he added.
NEDA is a BJP-led political coalition with the regional parties of the region. In a tweet tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, whose party is an ally of the BJP, had complained that the Assam Police and forest guards “entered Meghalaya and resorted to unprovoked firing”.
Assam Police officials, however, asserted that the truck was intercepted in West Karbi Anglong district of the State by a Forest Department team and a mob from Meghalaya had later attacked the forest guards and policemen from the State, which led to firing by the Assam side to bring the situation under control.