Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Wednesday that the police should not have opened fire on unarmed civilians.
Speaking to reporters on the unfortunate incident that took place at Mukhrow in the bordering region of the Assam and Meghalaya, the Assam CM said, “We have followed the Assam-Meghalaya border according to the constitution.”
“Regional committees have been established by the governments of both states to investigate the situation. It will take some time to resolve the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya,” said CM Sarma.
Meanwhile, CM Sarma maintained that the Meghalaya administration had never requested any form of limitations on interstate automobile mobility between the two states.
He said, “I had stopped the movement of vehicles from Assam to Meghalaya. The Meghalaya government never asked for any restrictions on movement of vehicles between the two states.”
It should be mentioned that the Assam Chief Minister had previously denied that the recent clash at the state’s border with Meghalaya was related to the Assam-Meghalaya border issue.
CM Sarma, who was in New Delhi to attend the program on the occasion of 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, mentioned it to reporters on being questioned regarding the matter.
He said, “This does not fall in the purview of the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya. This can be termed as a conflict between Assam Police and the people of a village in Meghalaya.”
CM Sarma had condemned the activities of the state police. CM Sarma said, “Assam Police should not have been so aggressive in dealing with the situation. The police fired shots more than were required.”
“In the meantime a judicial inquiry into the incident has been ordered. I will personally demand that central probing agencies like CBI or NIA to take up the investigation,” he added.
Earlier on November 22, firing took place at Mukhrow under Jirikinding PS in West Karbi Anglong District between Assam Forest Officials and unidentified miscreants. According to reports, the incident happened when the Forest Party tried to halt a truck carrying illicit timber.