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Violence mars bandh in Dibrugarh

By Staff Correspondent

DIBRUGARH, Jan 8 - At least three policemen including Additional Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panesar sustained bruises today after picketers of today�s bandh clashed with the police at Amolapatty here.

The picketers had resorted to vandalism and aggression at the district office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Amolapatty intersection here when the police pounced on them with lathicharge, blank firing and tea gas shelling. The picketers pulled down BJP flags, a hoarding of the BJP and a photo of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and had them burnt on two separately piled up tyres in front of the office of the BJP. �We have arrested at least 12 picketers including three women activists from the protest site and we have identified few more. They will be arrested too,� said ASP Panesar.

It needs to be acknowledged here that the entire chaotic situation in the city was virtually left to happen as picketers in several hundreds were moving in different areas with tyres and bottles of petrol without any obstruction by the administration. Tyres were being rolled on the road surface and moved to different junctions for burning. Tyres were also carried in motorcycles while some were picked from road side garages.

Picketers and locals of Nirmali Gaon had first staged protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in front of the residence of Sarbananda Sonowal. They burnt tyres and an effigy of Chief Minister Sonowal at the protest site. The picketers, mostly included members from Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, All Assam Scheduled Caste Students� Union, Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad and several others.

The picketers later arrived in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner where they staged demonstration for about half an hour. All of a sudden huge plumes of black smoke filled the sky as ten huge tyres were put to flames in front of the DC office. The police arrived at the scene but not before the tyres had turned to ashes. The picketers later left the scene and marched towards Chowkidinghee intersection where they staged demonstration by blocking all the four roadways.

The protestors later marched towards Amolapatty via the T R Phukan Road where the violence erupted. One fire tender was also pressed into service to douse fire in Amolapatty.

The picketers from All Assam Students� Union (AASU) staged a road blockade near Dibrugarh University. They hoisted black flags and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. They also withdrew the title �Jatiya Nayak� of Sarbananda Sonowal and instead referred to him as �Jatiya Khalnayak�. The AASU activists and the locals of Borpathar village obstructed movement of all forms of vehicles on NH 37 near the varsity including of the Army and the CRPF. The AASU activists had also obstructed movement of the magistrates of the Judiciary at Chowkidinghee but later allowed them to go. Essential services were exempted from the purview of the bandh.

Meanwhile, normal life was totally hit in the district. All business establishments, financial institutions, government offices and industries remained affected by the bandh. Roads also wore deserted look as all modes of vehicles kept off the roads. Kiosks and canteen at Railway stations also observed the bandh.

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