Assam toll crosses 90, Army begins search to locate weapons

"The Army is out and is helping us. It has been given full powers to seize illegal arms and ammunition and I believe we will get results very soon," CM Tarun Gogoi said.

GUWAHATI: With violence continuing in the riot-hit state, the Army on Tuesday launched one of its biggest search operations ever in six districts of lower Assam to seize illegal arms and explosives that have repeatedly been used to spread terror.

However, despite the huge presence of security forces, the state remained on the boil with one miscreant killed in Barpeta during a group clash while another person was killed in police firing late at Pakharitol village in Dhubri district on Monday night. With another body found in Kokrajhar on Tuesday, the death toll stood at 91.

There was tension in Barpeta where several houses were torched. Barpeta deputy commissioner Siddharth Singh told TOI that around 25 houses in Khoirabari were set on fire. One local was killed and 28 injured. "Police had to open fire to bring the situation under control. Police and Army personnel have been deployed," he said.

"The Army is out and is helping us. It has been given full powers to seize illegal arms and ammunition and I believe we will get results very soon," said chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

The Army was requisitioned by the government on July 25 to help the administration in controlling ethnic clashes in lower Assam. Defence sources said, "The Army's focus has now shifted to seizing all illegal weapons. There are explosives, too, and the Army's job is to push its intelligence gathering and get hold of all these weapons. There are reports that even normal people with no links with rebel outfits may be armed."

Nearly 2,000 troops are deployed in virtually every nook and cranny of Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Baksa and Nalbari districts in lower Assam.

Tuesday was also the second straight day of violence-marred day of Assam Bandh, this time called by All Assam Minority Students' Union (Aamsu) and 30 other minority organizations in protest against attacks on Muslims in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas.

Police lathi-charged to disperse stone-pelting mobs that also attacked mediapersons. Aamsu and the minority bodies have formed a forum called the United Movement for People's Rights (UMPR) demanding President's Rule and ouster of the Tarun Gogoi-led state government.

In Sonitpur, the Tezpur circle officer's car and one police vehicle were burnt. Curfew was imposed on Barpeta Road and in some parts of Tezpur. The police also fired in Jogighopa in Bongaigaon. Violent incidents were also reported from Morigaon and Nagaon and Sivsagar. Protesters burnt effigies of Mohilary, L K Advani and Bodo women's activist Anjali Daimary.

Gogoi accused BJP and AIUDF of making provocative statements and reiterated his appeal to all political parties and outfits to refrain from calling bandhs. "I am not happy with the way BJP and AIDUF and some other groups are making provocative statements," Gogoi said, adding, "This is a crisis hour and everybody should exercise restraint."

Several Muslim organizations as well AIUDF leader and MP Badruddin Ajmal, without taking names, strongly alleged that there are a large number of illegal weapons in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts and demanded they be immediately seized.