State Govt. must take steps to stop violence in Assam, says NCP's Tariq Anwar

Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCP) General Secretary and Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Tariq Anwar, on Sunday asked the state government of Assam to take steps to contain the violence and urged political parties to stop blame game on that issue.

"First of all let me tell you that Law and order is state Government's responsibility. Not the time for blame game, but to provide help to those affected by violence in Assam. Next step should be to take strong action and this is not the first time that place has witnesses sectarian violence.

I believe that the chief minister (Tarun Gogoi) should visit that place urgently so that confidence is instilled in the minds of those people," Anwar said.

Responding to a question on the violence in Assam- where more than thirty people have been killed in a spate of attacks by suspected tribal militants, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah on Saturday, without naming Narendra Modi, linked him to the violence in Assam. Omar reminded that Modi in one of his speech in a rally had said that if he comes to power then he will initiate action against illegal Bangladeshis residing in this part of the country and pack them off.

"It cannot be a coincidence that you run a campaign in that part of the country where you paint all Muslims as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants; suddenly thirty Muslims are killed in unprovoked violence. Clearly, there is a connection somewhere," Omar said.

Reports suggest that more than three dozen people have been killed in the ongoing violence in Bodo inhabited areas of Assam. Militant outfits in the region have been blamed for the killings in Assam.