Assam-Meghalaya border violence: Mallikarjun Kharge says BJP's NEDA failed Northeast

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. File Pic

A day after violence at the Assam-Meghalaya border, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the BJP's North-East Democratic Alliance has failed the Northeast and called on Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the border dispute between the two states.

Six people, including a forest guard, were killed in violence at the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border in the early hours of Tuesday after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam.

"Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at the Assam-Meghalaya border. 6 precious lives were lost," Kharge said in a tweet.

"BJP's NEDA has failed North East. It is high time Union Home Minister resolves the border dispute between two states before things turn more hostile," the Congress president said.

Let there be peace, he added.

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NEDA is a BJP-led political coalition with the regional parties of the region.

In a tweet tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, whose party is an ally of the BJP, had complained that the Assam Police and forest guards "entered Meghalaya and resorted to unprovoked firing".

Assam Police officials, however, asserted that the truck was intercepted in West Karbi Anglong district of the state by a forest department team and a mob from Meghalaya had later attacked the forest guards and policemen from the state, which led to firing by the Assam side to bring the situation under control.

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