GUWAHATI: At least 20 safety staff and greater than 50 protesters were injured on Thursday in a war of words after police resorted to lathi charge and fired tear gasoline shells to forestall a railway blockade by masses of All Bodoland Territorial Council Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) activists at Salakati.
The blockade at Salakati railway station in Chirang district was part of a series of protests announced by the student body difficult justice for the homicide of their leader Lafiqul Islam, shot lifeless at Titaguri marketplace in Kokrajhar on August 1 this yr. Police claimed they had to lodge to lathi charge only because protesters started pelting stones at them.
"When the security personnel tried to stop them (the protesters) from going to the railway station, the protesters broke the barricades and began pelting stone upon the security people. Left with no options, police had to lathi charge and fire a few rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the mob," Kokrajhar SP Rajen Singh mentioned. "Around 46 protesters have been detained. The video footage collected from media is being analyzed to ascertain the identities of the stone-pelters," he added.
The student staff, then again, refuted these charges. Asked why the gang went forward with the protest even though the Centre has handed over investigation to CBI, ABMSU normal secretary Shahkamal Khandakar mentioned the railway blockade was part of a series of protests to seek justice for Lafiqul almost a month in the past. The student body will get started an indefinite hunger strike on October 30. "ABMSU had informed local railway authorities about the protest. In spite of that, police stopped our activists before they could reach the Salakati railway station and started lathi charge. Many of our women members, including Lafiqul's family members, received injuries in police action," Khandakar added.
The blockade at Salakati railway station in Chirang district was part of a series of protests announced by the student body difficult justice for the homicide of their leader Lafiqul Islam, shot lifeless at Titaguri marketplace in Kokrajhar on August 1 this yr. Police claimed they had to lodge to lathi charge only because protesters started pelting stones at them.
"When the security personnel tried to stop them (the protesters) from going to the railway station, the protesters broke the barricades and began pelting stone upon the security people. Left with no options, police had to lathi charge and fire a few rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the mob," Kokrajhar SP Rajen Singh mentioned. "Around 46 protesters have been detained. The video footage collected from media is being analyzed to ascertain the identities of the stone-pelters," he added.
The student staff, then again, refuted these charges. Asked why the gang went forward with the protest even though the Centre has handed over investigation to CBI, ABMSU normal secretary Shahkamal Khandakar mentioned the railway blockade was part of a series of protests to seek justice for Lafiqul almost a month in the past. The student body will get started an indefinite hunger strike on October 30. "ABMSU had informed local railway authorities about the protest. In spite of that, police stopped our activists before they could reach the Salakati railway station and started lathi charge. Many of our women members, including Lafiqul's family members, received injuries in police action," Khandakar added.
70 hurt in clash between cops, protesters in Chirang
![70 hurt in clash between cops, protesters in Chirang]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
October 27, 2017
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