The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the recent violence in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts of Assam.
In a letter to the Centre on Friday, the Assam government had recommended that the investigation pertaining to the violence that left 75 people dead, be handed over to the NIA.
“Considering the gravity of the offences and relevant factors, the Central government is of the opinion that these attacks are scheduled offences under the NIA Act, 2008, and should be probed by it,” said a communiqué issued on Saturday.
‘State govt.’s failure’The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday questioned the Assam government for its failure to take timely action to prevent the massacre of tribals in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts and accused it of “dereliction of duty.”
Addressing a press conference here, BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh accused the State government of not acting on intelligence reports by the Guwahati Intelligence Bureau and the Special Branch of Assam Police who had given repeated warnings about the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB-Songbijit) plans to carry out deadlyattacks on Adivasis in the two districts.
