K Anurag in Guwahati
Security measures have been tightened as the anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam has called for Assam bandh on April 20 in protest against the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Guwahati to kick-start the platinum jubilee celebrations of Assam assembly.
The ULFA faction in a statement e-mailed to the media in Guwahati called upon the people of Assam to abide by the bandh call given by it 'to avoid any untoward incident' during the visit of the prime minister of 'colonial Indian government'.
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ULFA threat ahead of PM's visit keeps Guwahati on its toes
Police and paramilitary forces have set up security check points and barricades on all the entry and exit points to and from the city to keep a tab on movement of vehicles and people. Security has been augmented in all the vital government institutions and property in and around the city.
The venue of the PM's function, the play ground in front of the state secretariat complex, has been made out of bounds for the people for security reasons.
ULFA threat ahead of PM's visit keeps Guwahati on its toes
Army personnel Tuesday scanned the entire Nehru stadium complex in the city by pressing sniffer dogs in the view of the PM's visit. The PM's helicopter which will carry him from the international airport in Guwahati to the heart of the city, will land in Nehru Stadium. He will be taken to the venue of assembly's platinum jubilee celebration by road from Nehru stadium.
The explosives-sniffing dogs were pressed to check the entire lush green grass carpet of the play ground as well as interiors of all the residential quarters, indoor sports facilities in the stadium complex during an hours' long operation on Tuesday.
Dr Manmohan Singh is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam and has a rented house at Sarumotoria near the state capital complex in Guwahati. It is a routine for the ULFA to call for a bandh every time the PM is scheduled to visit the state.
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