Border tension: Meghalaya accuses Assam police of pulling down electric post

SHILLONG: A day after the confrontation at the Assam-Mizoram border which left as many as 5 personnel dead, Assam police has again been accused of violating border protocol -- this time by its Meghalaya counterpart.

IK Iangrai, assistant inspector general of police (A), Meghalaya, stated: "Today the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeCL) erected electric poles in Longkhuli village on the same stretch where Assam Electricity Board had erected electric poles in the month of January 2021."

However, at around 11:00 am the Circle Magistrate of Basistha Circle from Assam accompanied by senior police officials and a sizable police force reached the spot and dismantled the erected poles, Iangrai added in the release.

The action of the Magistrate and the Assam police was met with stiff resistance from the people of the village, who protested against the action of the Assam officials, Iangrai said.

A video of the incident is now going viral on social media.

ALSO READ: We are not fighting China or Pakistan: Mizoram’s lone BJP MLA on border violence with Assam

The officials of Meghalaya comprising Additional District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Officer-in-Charge Khanapara Police Station, and in-charge of the Pilangkata Out-Post immediately proceeded to the spot to pacify the matter and to deliberate with the Assam police officials, added the release.

"At present the situation is under control and there have been no reports of any untoward incidents.," the senior official added.

Meanwhile, prominent journalist Patricia Mukhim, taking to social media has questioned why this dispute has arisen 48 hours after talks were held at Shillong between Amit Shah and the CMs of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh which have border disputes with Assam.

She queried if Amit Shah had given a private missive to the Assam CM to begin resolving the boundary disputes through confrontation.

[video width="640" height="352" mp4="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/lingo/itne/images/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Be2evF-_67R5j_jo.mp4"][/video]

"Why else should trouble erupt at Vairangte in the Assam Mizoram border and at Ri Bhoi district in the Assam-Meghalaya border?," she wrote.

This calls for an urgent probe to find out why Assam Police should flex their muscles in both borders simultaneously, she added.

Follow us on Facebook