NRC Protest: 'Ulfa blast' injures four in Assam
Four people were wounded yesterday in a low intensity blast in Guwahati city in Assam claimed by banned United Liberation Front of Ahom (Ula- Independent faction).
The Ulfa faction led by Paresh Baruah called up local TV channels claiming that the blast was carried out by the outfit in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and National Register of Citizens (NRC) updating exercise. The outfit alleged that the NRC will be used to settle non-Assamese people in the state.
Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia said "an explosive device caused the blast" at a construction material dump site in Pan Bazar locality in which the four passersby, including a woman, were injured. He said an investigation is going on to identify which kind of explosive used in the blast and who are behind it.
The Indian government says the NRC aims at identifying “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh in Assam and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill gives Indian citizenship to “persecuted” Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and some other religious minorities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ulfa fears the NRC updating exercise and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill are aimed at conferring thousands of people cutting across religious divides with the status of genuine and permanent citizenship, which would pose a threat to the majority Ahom ethnic group in Assam.
The complete draft NRC was published on July 30 in which over 40 lakh people were left out from the document.
The DGP said security has already been stepped up due to the festival season.
"As there is Durga Puja ahead, we took extra care and intensified security measures. If necessary, we will further strengthen security and deploy more forces in vulnerable areas," he added.
Earlier, Guwahati Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranjan Bhuyan denied the explosion was caused by a bomb.
"We don't suspect it to be a bomb explosion as there were no splinters found and the injuries were due to stones hitting them. We don't suspect it to be a sabotage or terrorist activity from the nature of the blast," the DCP said immediately after the blast.
Comments