Police firing during BTAD bandh, two injured

A 24-hour BTAD bandh in Assam today turned violent forcing police to open fire to control protesters in Chirang district in which two persons were critically injured, official sources said. The police resorted first to lathi charge, then bursting of tear gas shells and finally firing to disperse bandh supporters who threw stones, burnt motorcycles and blocked NH 31 by burning tyres at Sidli in the district, police said. Two persons were critically injured in the police action and were admitted to hospital, the sources said. The bandh sponsor - United Organisation Coordination Committee (UOCC), however, claimed that 37 of its supporters were injured in the police lathicharge. In Kokrajhar district the driver of a tempo sustained burn injuries when bandh supporters set ablaze his vehicle at Charaikhola Chariali, district administration sources said. The driver was admitted to RNB civil hospital with 40 per cent burn injuries, the sources said. Incidents of setting motorcycles on fire and blocking of roads were also reported from different places of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD), which comprise of Kokorajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts. The 24-hour bandh was called opposing the land rights policy of the Bodoland Territorial Council, which administers BTAD, barring people living in the Council area from selling their land to non-tribals. The UOCC also demanded land and political rights for non Bodos in BTAD. The UOCC comprises non- Bodo organizations in Kokrajhar, including the All Koch-Rajbonshi Students Union, All Bodo Minority Students Union, All Assam Santhal Students Association, Gorkha Students Union, Nath Jugi Sanmilan among others. The All Minority Students Union and the All BTC Minority Students Union in BTAD had yesterday decided to launch a joint movement against the BTC for its alleged covert design to curtail the land rights of non-tribals living in the council area.

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