BPF bandh to continue till curfew is on in Assam

GUWAHATI, August 24:  The Bodoland Peoples' Front today said it would continue its indefinite bandh to protest against arrest of its MLA Pradip Brahma for allegedly inciting riots till the indefinite curfew in Kokrajhar district was on.

"Brahma may have been arrested on the basis of allegations made by a section of society but there was no violence or major incidents to justify imposition of curfew," BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary told reporters here.

The imposition of indefinite curfew from 5 AM following Brahma's arrest at one AM indicates that the "district administration does not want the situation to return to normal", said Mohilary, who is also the head of Bodoland Territorial Council.

The home department of Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) was under the state government and not the BTC.

The indefinite bandh called by BPF since yesterday would only be lifted when the district administration lifts the curfew, he asserted.

The indefinite bandh coupled by the curfew has brought the entire Kokrajhar district to a total stand-still with all shops, educational institutions and commercial establishments closed and vehicles remained off the roads though no untoward incidents were reported so far, official sources said.

Mohilary, however, pointed out that the BPF's alliance with Congress would continue and Brahma's arrest would have no impact on it.

Brahma, representing Kokrajhar (West) constituency, is currently in jail following his arrest from his Dotoma residence near Kokrajhar town and has been booked under Sections 120D, 147, 148, 149, 436, 427, 379 AND 506 IPC.

More than 80 persons have lost their lives and four lakh were rendered homeless in the violence in lower Assam districts of Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang, Bongaigaon and Baksa.