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At least 2 persons were killed and over 15 injured including several policemen when police opened fire on a mob of protestors on Wednesday afternoon. A police vehicle and three trucks were set ablaze in Assam's violence-hit Golaghat district by a mob that blockaded NH 37 protesting against the police action at Rangajan.
The protestors accusing the police of unprovoked attack on them at Rangajan on Tuesday, attacked police personnel at Moinapara under Golaghat police station with bamboo sticks and injured one of them seriously, police said.
The mob then set on fire a police vehicle and three trucks on NH-37 there.
The protestors, who were armed with sticks, spears, bows and arrows and matchets told newsmen visiting the area that they were 'compelled to retaliate' as 'innocent people were yesterday dragged out of their homes by police and CRPF to be fired upon from SLR and AK-47 rifles'.
They blocked the highway early Wednesday morning by burning tyres and felling trees on the road at Borsapori, Borjuri and Kuruwabahi as a mark of protest against the Rongajan police action.
The demonstrators, who carried banners and placards with banners and placards, said they would continue with their protest against the 'unprovoked' police action till the government provided them protection from attacks from Nagaland, the police said.
The protestors, who included local people and neighbouring Adivasi tea garden workers, raised slogans against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for allegedly failing to give protection to the people along the Assam-Nagaland border.
Several vehicles, including trucks with essential goods towards Nagaland, remained stranded and people could not go for their work in Numaligarh Refinery due to the blockade, they said.
The incident occurred a few hours after Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi accused the BJP-led Central government of being not serious towards the flare up that occurred on August 12-13 last along the disputed Assam-Nagaland boundary in Golaghat district.
with inputs from PTI
Image: Security personnel detain members of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti who were protesting outside the Assam Legislative Assembly in Dispur