JOIN USThe Centre has asked Assam government to immediately arrest those involved in ethnic clashes between Bodos and immigrant Muslims and seize illegal weapons by deploying enough forces, including Army, in the strife-torn areas.
Seeking to downplay the fresh spell of violence in the state which has claimed six lives so far, Union Home Secretary R K Singh termed this as "isolated incidents" and not a "flare up" as two of the cases were related to harvesting and another to extortion.
"We are very, very cautious. The DGP has assured the Centre that he will take stringent action on all these incidents. We will hunt down those involved. This is not a flare up. These are isolated incidents," he told reporters.
Singh said Assam DGP Jayanta Narayan Choudhury today visited violence-hit Kokrajhar and briefed him about the prevailing situation there.
He said around 6,500 personnel of paramilitary forces were deployed in the affected areas to maintain law and order and some more forces would be given soon on a request of the DGP.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has asked Assam government to be on high alert, deploy Army and seize illegal arms to put an end to the clashes between Bodos and immigrant Muslims.
The Home Ministry also asked the Defence Ministry to make available Army personnel whenever necessary to assist the civil administration in restoring normalcy.
The Army staged flag marches in Kokrajhar where indefinite curfew is in force.