Assam CM Gogoi Ignored Warnings On Impending Riots

By Kaushik Deka

Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam 

Sinlung is in possession of an exclusive document which shows that Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi ignored warning of a possible riot in Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) areas in the state.

On July 7, the president of the Kokrajhar unit of Congress had sent an urgent fax to Gogoi, requesting him to send CRPF forces to the region as he feared that riots could break out any moment in the state. But the chief minister did not respond to the mail.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Y.L. Karna had also submitted a report to Gogoi warning him of an impending riot after he visited Kokrajhar on July 7 to inquire into the incident of killing of minority students in the district a day before.

Interestingly, on July 27, the chief minister had put the blame on the central government for the delay in sending army to the riot-affected areas.

The very next day when reporters asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his reaction to Gogoi's allegation, the CM grabbed the microphone and said he hadn't said this.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Bodo-Muslim violence has reached 71. Meanwhile, home minister P. Chidambaram is set to visit the violence-hit areas of the state for two days beginning today (Monday) and review the security situation and relief and rehabilitation measures.

Chidambaram, who has been monitoring the Assam situation ever since clashes between Bodos and immigrant minorities broke out, will hold meetings with top civil and police officers and take stock of the law and order situation in the four riot-hit districts Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon.

The home minister is expected to visit a few relief camps and review the relief and rehabilitation steps taken for those who lost their kin and suffered losses during the violence. Chidambaram is likely to hold separate meetings with state governor J.B. Patnaik, the chief minister and his council of ministers.

source: dailymail