Banned group says behind explosion that injured four
ULFA SAYS IT IS PROTESTING THE SETTLING OF NON-ASSAMESE PEOPLE IN THE STATE
Ablast in the Sukleswar Ghat area here yesterday left four people injured, as the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) Independent claiming responsibility for the incident.
The group said it was protesting against the updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the north eastern state of Assam.
Assam Director-General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia said “an explosive device caused the blast” at around 11.45am IST, at a construction material dump site near a footpath in Pan Bazar area in which the four passers-by, including a woman, were injured.
“Only after investigation will it be known if any militant outfit was involved in the explosion,” he told reporters at the blast site, along the Brahmaputra river front.
Four million left out
Leader of Ulfa (Independent) Paresh Baruah called local TV channels claiming that the blast was carried out by the outfit in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and NRC updation exercise.
He alleged the NRC will be used to settle non-Assamese people in the state.
The complete draft NRC was published in July this ■ year, with 29 million names, in which over four million people were left out from the document. The Supreme Court later ordered resumption of filing of claims and objections by those left out from September 25 and it will remain open for 60 days.
The DGP said security has already been stepped up for the festival season. “As there is Durga Puja ahead, we took extra care and intensified security measures. If needed, we will further strengthen security and deploy more forces in vulnerable areas,” the DGP added.
Earlier, DCP Ranjan Bhuyan said: “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. It happened in a dump of sand kept for roadside drain construction. It may have had an unexploded shell which went off today,” the DCP had said right after the blast.
He said the bomb squad is probing into the incident.
The four injured have received minor wounds and were being provided medical care at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Civil Hospital nearby, the police official said.