Incident come less than two days after Home Minister Amit Shah met with the northeast CMs in Shillong to resolve interstate boundary disputes
Five Assam police personnel were killed in an exchange of fire with their Mizoram counterparts after the protracted border row between the two northeastern States took a violent turn on Monday. The clashes at the border town of Vairengte also left at least 60 persons from Assam injured.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says the Home Minister has failed the country yet again by sowing hatred and distrust into the lives of people. India is now reaping its dreadful consequences, he said.
A war of words broke out between Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his counterpart from Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma after the clash which led the Home Minister to intervene. The Assam Police said miscreants from Mizoram were indulging in stone-pelting and attacking Assam government officials stationed at Lailapur to protect Assam's land from encroachment.
Assam government on Monday urged the neighbouring state to restrain its "people and Police personnel" from indulging in "wanton violence" and work towards restoring peace after six of its personnel were killed in the clashes.
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Assam CM visits injured cops at hospitalAssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma meets police personnel injured in the Assam-Mizoram border clash, at Silchar Medical College and hospital.
Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana says, "Around 200 Assam Armed Police led by IGP, Assam Police came to Vairengte Auto-rickshaw stand. They forcibly crossed duty post manned by CRPF personnel stationed there and overran a duty post manned by Mizoram police. Tear gas grenades were launched at Mizoram Police followed by firing from Assam side. Mizoram Police responded spontaneously by firing back at Assam Police inspite of the fact that SP, Kolasib Distt was inside CRPF duty camp negotiating with Assam Police."
“It is with a heavy heart that we are constrained to note that what is being termed by the Mizoram side as an intrusion and aggression by Assam, has left 5 Assam Police personnel confirmed dead (6 as per initial reports, which is being confirmed)," the Assam government statement said. It also said that more than 50 police personnel, including the Cachar SP Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant who has a bullet embedded in his leg and is in the ICU, were injured.
Mizoram’s Home Minister Lalchamliana said the chain of events began at 11.30 a.m. when some 200 Assam police personnel came to the Vairengte auto-rickshaw stand and “forcibly” closed the duty post of the Central Reserve Police Force and a section of Mizoram police personnel.
The CRPF has been deployed as a neutral force at disputed stretches along the 164.6 km Assam-Mizoram border.
“The Assam police damaged some Mizoram-bound vehicles on the national highway and committed arson. They did not listen to our officials who tried to resolve the issue and lobbed tear gas shells and grenades and started firing at around 4.30 p.m.,” Mr. Lalchamliana said.
Minor clashes were also reported in the Killing-Iongkhuli area of Assam-Meghalaya border on Monday when Assam police personnel allegedly tried to uproot electric poles erected by workers engaged by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited.