Ethnic frenzy in three lower Assam districts has gone from bad to worse. The death toll has mounted to 32 on Tuesday. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has written to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister AK Antony asking for more paramilitary forces and troops to rein in the situation.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi called up the chief minister to get an update of the situation.
According to information, around 40,000 people have fled their homes looking for safer areas. In Kokrajhar alone 19 people were killed killed in Kokrajhar and 12 others were killed in Chirang and adjoining areas.
Incidents of violence are taking place mainly in the interior areas of these districts. Over 60 villages, were burnt by miscreants in the two districts. Violence has also spread to Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh. Police opened blank fire there on Tuesday to contain unrest. In Dhubri, curfew has been clamped in Gouripur, Golakganj, Bilasipara and Chapar.
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