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AIUDF walkout over BTAD riots

By STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 10 � The winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly started on a stormy note today with the members of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) staging a walkout on the issue of violence in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) areas.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuyan of the AIUDF sought to raise an adjournment motion on the issue of violence in the BTAD, but the Speaker, Pranab Gogoi refused to allow him to do so saying that such a motion can be raised only after the Question Hour.

The AIUDF members strongly opposed the Speaker�s decision and continued their demand for the adjournment motion and they claimed that lives of people are more important than the rules. With the AIUDF members continued with disrupting the proceedings of the House, the Speaker asked them to go out but they refused to do so and the Forest Minister, Rockybul Hussain alleged that the members of the AIUDF were not serious about the matter and they were only raising the issue to get public attention.

Amidst the din, the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes to bring it in order. As soon as the House reassembled, the AIUDF members started pressing for their demand for an adjournment motion and they even rushed to the well of the House raising slogans. At that time, the Speaker stopped the live telecast of the proceedings of the House. After raising slogans in the well of the House for about 10 minutes, the AIUDF members staged a walkout and they did not participate in the other proceedings of the House for the day.

Meanwhile, in a written reply to a question by Sherman Ali Ahmed (AIUDF), Forest Minister Hussain, who was replying on behalf of the Chief Minister, said that as many as 109 persons were killed in violence in BTAD areas, out of whom three were killed in police firing. He said that 15033 houses were damaged in the riots.

Hussain said that altogether 485921 persons took shelter in the relief camps during the peak of the riots and at present, only 30430 persons are in the camps and 5669 families have been rehabilitated. The verification process of the others is going on and the Government is keen on their early rehabilitation.

The Minister informed the House that 532 persons involved in the clashes have been arrested so far and 5776 cases are under investigation. Of those killed, 28 persons died of bullet injuries and the Government has started drastic action to recover illegal weapons. He said that as many as 78 weapons have been seized so far.

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