An indefinite curfew was clamped in areas under the Mushalpur and Simla police stations of Baksa district of Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) in Assam from 8 p.m. on Wednesday night after violent clashes, which broke out during a bandh called by the Aboro (non-Boro) Suraksha Samiti left one person dead, several injured and caused destruction of houses and other property.
The Samiti has been opposing bifurcation of the State for the sake of creating a separate State of Bodoland as demanded by Bodo groups and parties.
Home Secretary G.D. Tripathi said the Army was on standby. He said the clashes broke out when some bandh supporters tried to enforce a shutdown and the bid was resisted by locals. The Samiti called the bandh to protest police lathi charge and firing of teargas shells on its supporters at Amingaon in Kamrup district on Tuesday when they tried to stage a blockade on National Highway 37. The Samiti has also been demanding exclusion of non-Bodo villages from BTAD, which is ruled by the Bodoland Territorial Council.
