The security forces shot dead at least four persons in firing incidents to check violent mobs which attacked passenger trains, petrol pumps and houses in different parts of Assam’s trouble-torn Kokrajhar on Tuesday.
Also, with seven more bodies found in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts, the death toll in Western Assam’s communal clashes has gone up to 32. Close to one lakh people have become homeless following the violence.
As clashes erupted in several new areas between illegal immigrants and Bodos, the state sounded an alert in Sonitpur, Baska, Kamrup (Rural) and Darrang districts.
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, called chief minister Tarun Gogoi and asked him to do “everything possible” to control the violence. Mr Gogoi on Tuesday directed the administration to call in the Army, which is now conducting flag marches in troubled areas.
Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mahiliary, now camping in Kokrajhar, on Tuesday blamed the state government for not giving orders to the forces to quell the violence.
Over 15,000 passengers are stranded at different railway stations since Monday. Security sources said a mob of immigrants attacked the North East Express and a petrol pump near Srirampur on Tuesday. The forces rushed to the spot and were forced to fire on a mob trying to damage the train and set the petrol pump on fire, killing four people.
A 200-strong mob also attacked the Rajdhani Express at Gossaigaon station, but they were driven away. Four coaches of the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani were damaged in stone-pelting, which led to panic among passengers. Northeast Frontier Railway sources claimed there were no casualties or injuries to the passengers. The train was turned back, halted at Kamakhyaguri station bordering West Bengal, but the authorities may take it to Cooch Behar.