GUWAHATI, June 22 � The Government cannot allow anyone to hold the Guwahati city to ransom and instructions have been issued to take firm action against anyone found to be indulging in vandalism, rioting and instigating people to indulge in such acts, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
In a statement here this evening, the Chief Minister said that the incidents today were unfortunate but the Government cannot allow acts of violence. He said that the protestors took the law into their own hands and damaged public properties including buses. The protestors were armed with stones and sticks with an aim to breach peace and order in the city, he added.
Gogoi pointed out that the eviction drive launched by the Government was the reason for today's protests and the Government has already declared that the landless people living on government land continuously for 15 years would be given the right over the land in their possession. The Government is always sympathetic to the cause of the poor and landless people and decided to form a committee to look into their grievances, he added.
At the same time, the Chief Minister expressed his grief at the death of three persons including a nine year old child in today's incidents.
