GUWAHATI: A four-member Trinamool Congress delegation from Bengal arrived in Upper Assam on Sunday morning to “express solidarity” with the families of the five persons who were killed by unidentified gunmen in “military fatigue” at Kherbari village in the Dhola area of Tinsukia district.
The team led by Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O’Brien landed at the Mohanbari airport near Dibrugarh town around 7.45am and thereafter proceeded to Kherbari village to meet the bereaved families belonging to the Bengali community even as security was beefed up to prevent any untoward incidents along the 100-km road route.
It may be recalled that in the wake of the publication of the National Register of Citizens in Assam on July 30, six legislators of the TMC who had come to take opinions from people in Barak valley were stopped and detained at Silchar airport on August 2 and sent back to Kolkata the next day.
Despite the tense situation in Assam in the wake of the incident, the TMC delegation has come to the state this time “following the directions of the party chairman and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee.”
The “solidarity” visit by the Bengal delegation also happens at a time when the incumbent BJP and the Opposition Congress are engaged in a “political blame game” over the incident.
The All Assam Students’ Union however has requested members of political parties to refrain from making provocative or irresponsible statements which might adversely affect the situation.
Speaking to the media, TMC leader, O’Brien said, “This is a humanitarian visit. This is a visit to stand with the grieving families. Our chairperson has given us all directions. What has happened is a dastardly killing of the most deprived and poorest Indian citizens…They have been murdered in cold blood. This is a movement that has just started and we will continue it till we know how and why the incident happened.”
The other members of the delegation include Lok Sabha MP, Mamata Bala Thakur, Rajya Sabha MP, Nadimul Haq and MLA, Mahua Moitra.
Television footage later showed the TMC leaders consoling the aggrieved families and taking stock of their safety in the aftermath of the incident.
Militant group, Ulfa (Independent) however has denied its involvement in the killing of the five persons on Thursday evening.
Security personnel have gheraoed the site and been keeping strict vigil since the incident took place even as a manhunt has been launched to nab the killers. An ULFA (I) linkman has also been picked up by police on suspicion of being involved in the crime.
A delegation of National Investigation Agency had also arrived at the village on Saturday and took stock of the situation.