Congress delegates stopped by Jorhat admn from going to Nagaland

They were stopped following an order issued by the Jorhat deputy commissioner Ashok Barman which said that in view of the prevailing law and order situation in Mon district and in bordering districts following Saturday’s incident, the movement of civilians and others from Assam side has been restricted by the Nagaland government.

“There are sufficient grounds to prohibit their (Congress delegations’) further movement considering the present sensitive situation at the Assam-Nagaland border in Jorhat district. Therefore considering their safety with regard to the prevailing situation, the delegation is prohibited to go beyond Jorhat airport unless the Nagaland government gives them permission to enter that state,” Barman said.

Gogoi said the Congress delegates had been directed by Sonia Gandhi to go to Mon and meet the bereaved families. But the Assam government prevented them from going there.

“Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are bent on destroying the democratic fabric of the country. We have been prevented from going and so we are sitting on a dharna outside Jorhat airport,” he said.

Singh said that the Congress delegation was going to Mon express their condolence to the bereaved families of the slain mine workers but was detained.

“What is surprising is that if there is a law and order problem in Mon then Nagaland government should have stopped us and not the Assam police. This indicates that there is something that the Assam government is trying to hide which our visit could have exposed,” he added.