Security personnel try to stop agitators amid protests demanding eviction of illegal settlers residing in Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in two districts, at Diphu, in Karbi Anglong district, Assam.
Credit: PTI
Guwahati: Police fired in the air and used batons during a protest in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district on Monday following violent protest including arson.
The district administration issued prohibitory order against gathering of more than four persons as the situation remained tense following the firing.
The protesters have been demanding an eviction drive against non-tribals in Kheroni area saying that the land belongs to village grazing land, a category of government land reserved for village grazing.
A group of agitators have been on an "indefinite" hunger strike for the past two weeks. The situation turned tense on Monday morning when police forcibly tried to remove the protesters. The protesters blocked roads and some of them even allegedly pelted stones. This led police to use batons following which the agitators set fire on a house of Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, an council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Kheroni is situated about 220km from Guwahati.
Police said at least three protesters and a policeman were injured during the protest and the action taken to control the violent protest.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said although the demand for evicting the non-tribals was long, the same could not be done due to an interim order issued by Gauhati High Court against the eviction plan. "We can not go against the order of the High Court but we are confident that we can find a solution to the issue through talks. Such violence can not lead us to a solution," Sarma told reporters in Guwahati on Monday evening.
BJP is in power of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council.