Assam Eviction Drive: 2 protesters killed, 9 police personnel injured in clash

GUWAHATI-  Two protesters were killed and nine police personnel were injured in Assam’s Darrang district on Thursday in a clash between locals and police. Locals were protesting the ongoing eviction drive.

In horrifying visuals, a cameraman filming the clash attacked a protester who had earlier followed him with a stick. The protester, beaten by policemen, lay motionless as the cameraman kept attacking him until he was restrained.

SP Darrang, Sushanta Biswa Sarma said to Media, the people present at the spot pelted stones and attacked Police personnel, and regarding the viral video doing rounds on social media, the SP said he is inquiring about it.

The state government has ordered a probe – to be headed by a retired High Court judge – into today’s violence.

Some 800 families were evicted in the drive against encroachments at Dholpur on Monday. The state wants to repossess 4,500 bighas of government land for an agricultural project.

Today, when cops arrived in the area to evict the remaining households, the encroachers attacked them and in retaliation cops resorted to firing after tear gas shells failed to stop the locals.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a blistering attack on the state government over alleged police brutality said “Assam is on state-sponsored fire”.

“I stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the state – no children of India deserve this,” the Wayanad MP added.