SILCHAR: Senior Congress leaders, including leader of the Opposition in the Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia and All India Mahila Congress Committee president Sushmita Dev were allegedly attacked with stones when they visited the Assam-Mizoram inter-state border in Cachar district on Sunday.
“Some people from neighbouring Mizoram armed with lathis and catapults resisted us when we were on a visit to the inter-state border and didn’t allow us to enter areas located within our state. The Congress delegation was pelted with stones, but we managed to escape unhurt. This is the situation in Assam under the BJP government,” Sushmita Dev told reporters at Lailapur.
“We will pack these stones and send them to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to make him understand the situation along the inter-state border and the insecurity of the people of Assam,” Dev said.
After visiting the border areas in the morning, Saikia held a meeting with deputy commissioner (Cachar) Keerthi Jalli, superintendent of police Bhanwar Lal Meena and other senior officials at the DC office here.
Saikia placed some suggestions before the district administration to help ease tension in the area.
Saikia asked the administration to take steps to rebuild the two schools destroyed in two separate bomb blasts over the past few weeks.
Saikia underscored the need for intensifying patrolling by police personnel at the Assam-Mizoram border to instil confidence among the local people.
He urged the administration to extend financial assistance to those injured and relief to the 22 families whose houses were damaged in attacks. He also suggested that the people be given money from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana so that they can rebuild their homes.
Jalli apprised Saikia of the steps taken by the district administration and the state government, including setting up of three border outposts and regular meetings with her Kolasib counterpart, to restore normalcy.
SP Meena told Saikia that a detailed report on the situation has been sent to the Centre.
Saikia handed over Rs 15,000 to the family of Intazul Laskar, who died in custody in Mizoram and Rs 10,000 to those injured in the violence.