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No report of foreign groups� role: Centre

By Spl CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, July 25 � Taken aback by reports of involvement of organised gangs, Union Home Secretary RK Singh on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a foreign hand behind the riots.

Reacting to reports, the Union Home Secretary clarified that no input of any organised gangs from across the border has come to the notice of the Centre. He was reacting to allegations levelled by a section of Bodo leaders over possible involvement of organised Bangladeshi groups in the riots.

Interacting with mediapersons the Home Secretary said that instruction have been issued to security forces to immediately arrest the ring leaders on both sides to defuse the tension.

He said that Assam Police and Central paramilitary forces have been asked to mount a crackdown to detect and arrest the ring leaders on both sides.

Meanwhile, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Paban Singh Ghatowar on Wednesday met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Railway Minister Mukul Roy seeking urgent intervention at the highest level.

Ghatowar said that he has urged the Union Home Minister to tour the affected BTC areas, besides rushing adequate Central forces as requested by the Assam Government. He urged the Centre to rush Central assistance to the riot-hit areas.

The Union Home Minister has assured that Centre has extended all possible assistance to the State Government and adequate forces including the Army have been made available as and when requested by the State Government, Ghatowar told newsmen here.

Meanwhile, Ghatowar urged the Railway Minister to rush supplies to the stranded passengers stuck at various stations across Assam and North Bengal. Ghatowar said that the passengers were suffering because of non-availability of food and water. Over 15,000 passengers were reportedly stranded in various stations.

Roy informed him that he has sought the help of the Union Home Minister and State Government to ease the situation. He has sought forces from the Centre.

Meanwhile, agitators belonging to the minority community staged demonstration for the second day on Wednesday. A large number of protesters staged demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.

Demonstrators demanded dismissal of the Bodoland Territorial Council and condemned Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his failure to control the situation. However, the demonstrators clarified that they were not representing any particular organisation though several AIUDF workers were seen actively involved with the demonstration.

Meanwhile, the VHP condemning the killings has criticised the �unconstitutional behaviour of Prime Minister and Chief Minister and their party chief. The VHP demanded immediate deportation of Bangladeshis and those who are elected with such votes in any constituencies of Assam should be debarred from contesting elections.

All borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh should be sealed, VHP international working president Dr Pravin Togadia demanded, blaming the Union Government for the ethnic carnage.

Meanwhile, Art of Living guru Sr Sri Ravi Shankar said that the heinous crime against ethnic people in Assam by the fundamentalist immigrants is causing a huge humanitarian crisis. �Wake up and join in to condemn this act,� he said.

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