Centre must seize arms from BTAD rebels: AIUDF

Guwahati: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has asked the Centre to seize illegal arms from militants and former rebels in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).
MP and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal on Thursday said extremists and miscreants procure illegal arms and cause violence in BTAD and its neighbouring areas.
Terming Tuesday’s killings ‘the continuation of past mayhem in BTAD’, he said the state government has failed to stop the inflow of illegal arms into these areas, which fall under the Sixth Schedule.
“Bodo militants have been systematically targeting non-Bodos. In May, over 50 Muslims were killed, while, in 2012, over 100 Muslims were shot dead by the militants. Unless illegal arms are seized, such eruptions will continue,” Ajmal alleged.
“The Centre must ensure that non-Bodos feel safe. Families of the deceased, injured and those whose property has been damaged in militant attacks should be compensated on the lines of Sikh riot victims,” he said
Meanwhile, the state BJP has asked the Centre to impose President’s Rule in Assam, accusing the state government of failing to maintain law and order.
BJP state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya said, “We believe President’s Rule can help restore the functioning of the government,” Bhattacharya said on Thursday.