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“On 6 July two persons from the minority community were killed."

KOKRAJHAR, July 7: Tension prevails in Kokrajhar district after the firing that took place at Anthihara under Dotma police station in Kokrajhar district on Friday evening. The armed assailants in two motorcycles shot at a group of minority people, at Kokrajhar-Dotma-Gossaingaon road at around 8.30 pm yesterday, killing one on the spot and injuring others. The dead has been identified as Narul Haque. Another person, Mazibur Rehman succumbed to his injury at the hospital today. The All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), took out a rally in Kokrajhar town today, carrying the dead bodies. The rally started from Rup Nath Brahma Civil Hospital through Kokrajhar town and gathered in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office, where a memorandum was submitted to the Assam Chief Minister and BTC chief through the DC, Kokrajhar demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved and compensation to the victims and the injured. The ABMSU activists torched a bike and physically assaulted the rider, injuring him critically at Anthihara, while he was on his way to Kokrajhar. The person identified as Bijay Brahma (45), was stopped and beaten up by ABMSU members, before setting the bike on fire. Brahma was first brought to Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital here and later taken to a private hospital in Bongaigaon in serious condition. In the interview with mediapersons, the Publicity Secretary of All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), Lafikul Islam said that he condemned the killing of innocents in BTC. He said, like the Bodos, all people of the minority community as well as the non-Bodo people have equal rights in BTC area.The State government as well as the BTC administration should protect the people living in BTC area. He said, if the BTC administration and State government fails to arrest the culprits within 24 hours, the ABMSU announce an indefinite BTC bandh call. He demanded compensation of Rs 3 lakh from BTC and 7 lakhs from State government for the families of the victims and Rs 2 lakh each from BTC and State government for the injured. He said that if the BTC and State governments fail to protect the minority and arrest the culprits, the ABMSU is bound to take up arms and declare ZEHAD, he said. Meanwhile, BTC Chief, Hagrama Mohilary strongly condemned the killing of two people at Angthihara in Dotma by unknown miscreants. He called upon the people to keep restraint and ensure that the culprits involved in the incident would be dealt with and brought to book. On the other hand, BTC EM, Derhashat Basumatary said that it was better to help the government and district administration to trace the actual culprits and if all sections of people co-operates, it will be very easy to arrest the main culprits he said. The ABSU General Secretary Jiron Basumatary and AKRSU Kokrajhar district Secretary Baniram Barman too condemned the killings and demanded arrest of the culprits. They also demanded safety and security of the people irrespective of caste and community.