Protests staged across Assam against Mizoram border firing

Protesters assembled in front of Mizoram Circuit House in Silchar around noon, shouting slogans against Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and seeking intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah to help work out a permanent solution to the long-pending inter-state boundary issue.

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From Our Correspondent 

GUWAHATI:

Pressure groups staged demonstrations across Assam on Thursday in protest against Monday’s violence near the Assam-Mizoram border, demanding stern punishment to those involved in the firing that resulted in seven casualties so far, and injuries to over 50 persons.

Protesters assembled in front of Mizoram Circuit House in Silchar around noon, shouting slogans against Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and seeking intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah to help work out a permanent solution to the long-pending inter-state boundary issue.

Demanding implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) system for entry in Assam like in Mizoram, the protesters submitted a memorandum to Cachar deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli after staging a two-hour demonstration.

In Guwahati, agitated members of the Veer Lachit Sena, a socio-political organisation of Assam, held placards and shouted slogans against the Mizoram government in front of Mizoram House here, threatening to launch a week-long economic blockade at Jorabat to prevent essential goods-carrying vehicles from proceeding to the neighbouring state.

The protesters however were not allowed to enter Mizoram House by the security forces deployed there.

“It is unfortunate that we have come here to protest an incident that concerns Assam Police and instead they have not allowed us to enter Mizoram House. We only wanted to stage a symbolic protest by unfurling our traditional gamosa and not attacking anyone there,” one of the Lachit Sena activists said.

We demand upon the Assam and the Mizoram governments to immediately identify the miscreants who fired (using light machine guns) at the Assam Police personnel at Lailapur and killed six of them. We also demand that the Rajya Sabha MP (K Vanlalvena) who made a provocative statement against Assam Police during a media interview in Delhi, be arrested. Else we will be compelled to intensify our agitation,” a Lachit Sena leader said.

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