Rajnath vows zero tolerance against Bodo militants

December 26, 2014

Guwahati/New Delhi, Dec 26: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday announced zero tolerance against Bodo militants in Assam, saying that they would be treated like terrorists.

After visiting the affected districts of Sonitpur and Kokrajhar two days after the nation was shocked by the cold-blooded massacre of 78 people, Singh ruled out any dialogue with the militant NDFB(S) outfit, which was behind the violence, and directed the Assam government to start taking action against the perpetrators of terror.

He also assured the state of Central assistance to fight terror, which could even extend to pressing the Army into action, though the Ministry of Home Affairs has already sent 50 companies of paramilitary forces to the state.

“I have spoken to the Assam Chief Minister (Tarun Gogoi), and we have decided to investigate the entire incident by the National Investigation Agency. We want to understand the links of such groups. We want to know with whom they have connections,” Singh told reporters at a press conference in Guwahati.

Singh said he was informed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that “one of the premiers” of Bhutan and Myanmar has promised cooperation for flushing out terrorists from their territories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken serious note of the incident, and announced Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased, said the minister. He has also announced Rs 50,000 which will be paid from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to those seriously injured.

“The prime minister wants to work for the country and this region. Some forces like this are interfering with it. But we will win over these forces. Such incidents are challenges for the nation,” said Singh.

The home minister said the Centre is treating the incident with utmost seriousness, as “such incidents are a challenge” to the nation. “We cannot overlook it as a simple act of militancy. It is an act of terror. Both the Central and the state government will deal with it the way terrorism is dealt with,” he said.

On Tuesday, heavily armed militants swooped down on rem¬ote Adivasi villages, killing 37 people in Sonitpur district, 25 in Kokrajhar and three in Chirang. Singh was not willing to treat the killings as another bout of ethnic clashes, which the state believes. He said: “Terrorists do not have religion, caste and region. They are only terrorists.”

Before flying to Assam, Singh convened a high-level meeting, attended by senior officials from intelligence agencies and the home and defence ministries, to assess the situation. It was decided in this meeting to take the Bodo militants head on.

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‘No guarantee for BJP govt’s 4th term, but...’: Nitin Gadkari jokes in Nagpur

News Network

September 23,2024

Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday teased his cabinet colleague Ramdas Athawale over his ability to hold onto his cabinet spot across multiple governments. "It may not be guaranteed that our government will return for a fourth term, but what is definitely guaranteed is that Ramdas Athawale will become a minister," he remarked at an event in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

The playful jibe, with Mr Athawale present on stage, was followed by Mr Gadkari clarifying that he was "just joking."

Mr Athawale, leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI), has served as a minister three times and expressed confidence in continuing his streak if the BJP returns to power.

Mr Athawale on Sunday said his party RPI (A), an ally in the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, should get to contest on at least 10 to 12 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Mr Athawale said the RPI-A will contest the election on its party symbol and ask for three to four seats in Vidarbha, including north Nagpur, Umred (Nagpur), Umarkhed in Yavatmal and Washim.

Mr Athawale's party is part of the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

The Union minister said, "The RPI-A has made a list of 18 probable seats, which it will be sharing with the Mahayuti partners in a few days and expects to get at least 10 to 12 seats in the seat-sharing pact." He said the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP should give four seats each from their quota for his party.

In Palghar earlier this week, Mr Athawale claimed that due to the inclusion of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the Mahayuti government, the RPI (A) did not get any ministerial berth in the state despite a promise.

He claimed that the party was promised cabinet positions, chairmanship of two corporations, and roles in district-level committees, but all this could not happen because of Pawar's inclusion.

The elections to 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra are likely to be held in November.

In the current assembly, the BJP is the single largest party with 103 MLAs, followed by Shiv Sena 40, NCP 41, Congress 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, NCP (SP) 13 and others 29. Some seats are vacant.

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