ITANAGAR/DHEMAJI, April 6 � A border row between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam has erupted over demolition of a structure at Likabali, a disputed area on the border between the two States.
Official sources in Itanagar claimed that Assam officials led by the additional deputy commissioner and SP of Dhemaji district allegedly raided the Malini Mela complex at Likabali in West Siang district yesterday and destroyed structures including a recently erected pandal and a storeroom constructed in 1994. Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Tuki termed this as �provocative�.
Tuki, in a statement said, he was trying to contact his Assam counterpart, Tarun Gogoi, who was out of station, to register strong protest.
Tuki said that 300 armed police personnel who came with an excavator demolished the pandal and took away CGI sheets and other materials without prior notice.
�It is a breach of trust that could jeopardise the bilateral relations between two sisterly States. Such condemnable and uncalled for evictions should be avoided at all costs,� Arunachal Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy said. Assam�s Dhemaji district superintendent of police Pradeep Ranjan Kore, however, said a community hall built by encroachers from East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh was dismantled recently.
Following the eviction at Nilgan Malini area, some miscreants from the neighbouring State attempted to attack villagers on the Assam side yesterday, but the police drove them away, Kore said.
The situation was now under control, he said. � PTI
