BJP's Assam bandh evokes mixed response

GUWAHATI: A 12-hour Assam bandh called today by the BJP, to protest the introduction of a Constitutional Amendment Bill to facilitate swapping of land enclaves with Bangladesh, evoked mixed response.

The bandh was total in the upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat and in the three Barak Valley districts of Karimganj, Cachar and Hailakandi, official sources said.

It evoked partial response in the central and lower Assam districts, with shops and educational institutions remaining closed and vehicular traffic remaining off the road.

BJP supporters pelted stones, damaged vehicles and burnt tyres to enforce the bandh in several places of upper and lower Assam districts, the sources said.

Over 500 bandh supporters were taken into custody in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Dibgoi, Duliajan, Dhubri and Nalbari.

Train services were disrupted in Barak Valley with no trains leaving the stations till noon.

The services were mostly unaffected in the Brahmaputra valley with long-distance trains running as per schedule.

A local train was detained for nearly an hour in Nalbari station this morning. The bandh supporters were later forcibly removed by the security forces.

Air services to and from Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport remained unaffected with most flights operating as per schedule.

Security across the state has been tightened in view of the bandh with intensified patrolling by additional forces in vulnerable areas and around vital installations.