DIBRUGARH, Sept 16 - Unidentified miscreants today thrashed some picketers who tried to force bandh in the market area of Cole Road here and also set ablaze one of their motorcycles bearing registration number AS06 E 0936. The area was tense for sometime following the incident.
At least four youths had entered the market area at around 11 am to force the bandh. Some traders and their henchmen came out in big numbers and confronted the youths. The youths were beaten up before they managed to escape. However, one of their motorcycles was partially damaged in the arson. Police rushed to the area and prevented further clash.
The Assam bandh however, evoked mixed response elsewhere in the city. Except for the long distance passenger vehicles, all modes of vehicles plied on the road. Several business establishments, educational institutions and government offices were open.
Rumours were doing rounds that the bandh was called off. The truth is that the bandh was called by one faction of the Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad while another faction had said that they had not called the bandh and that some fake leaders were using their nomenclature to impose the bandh. The organisation had called for the bandh in protest against the reported move of the Narendra Modi led government to accommodate Hindu migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
This evening, sixteen organisations have served a 24 hour ultimatum on the civil administration to identify and arrest the miscreants of today�s arson at Cole Road. They have warned of a sustained agitation in the event of non arrest of the culprits by Thursday.
These organisations include Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad Asom, All Tai Ahom Students� Union, All Assam Muttuck Yuva Chatra Sanmilan, All Assam Muttuck Students Union, Sadau Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Sanmilan, Sadau Asom Chutia Yuva Sanmilan, Sadau Asom Muttuck Yuva Chatra Santha, Sadau Asom Ahom Jatiya Ganamancha, All Dibrugarh District SC Students Union, Sadau Asom Sonowal Kachari Santha, Asom Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha, Sadau Asom Muttuck Yuva Chatra Parishad, Sadau Asom Muslim Yuva Parishad, and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Parishad.
