Curfew in Assam to prevent backlash against killings Monday, January 08, 2007 06:23 [IST]
Tinsukia (Assam):
"An indefinite curfew was imposed Monday in the eastern Assam town of Dibrugarh in an attempt to prevent a possible
backlash following the deadly attacks targeting Hindi-speaking people, who were
to stage massive protests," officials said.
"Dibrugarh is under curfew fearing violent protests by
Hindi-speaking people," district police chief V. Ramisetti told sources.
Three days of carnage unleashed by the outlawed United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) that began Friday has left 66 people dead, 57
of them Hindi-speaking migrant workers.
"A few bodies of people killed Saturday near Sadia in
Tinsukia district are to arrive in Dibrugarh in an ambulance and hundreds of
people are waiting to stage a protest march carrying the corpses," said
another police official.
"The curfew was imposed as a precautionary measure to
prevent any backlash," he added.
The proposed protest march was to coincide with the Railway
Minister Lalu Prasad's visit to Dibrugarh.
The minister arrived in Tinsukia earlier Monday and visited
families of those killed in the savage attacks.
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