Silchar (Assam) [India], November 29 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the firing incident that happened along the Assam-Meghalaya border because of a certain local issue and it does not have any relation or problem with the broader landscape of Assam-Meghalaya relationship.
“Police should not fire at civilians, whether they are citizens of Meghalaya or Assam. Police should use their weapons against terrorists, and criminals, not against innocent people. Every time whenever police recruitment takes place, I always tell police not to use weapons against civilians. I don’t approve of the firing incident. Even if there is forest, there could be other ways to prevent that. Taking the lives of civilians is not appreciated. The incident happened because of a certain officer, maybe a certain person, certain local issue. It does not have any relation or problem of the broader landscape of the Assam-Meghalaya relationship,” Sarma said.
He also said that the Assam-Meghalaya boundary is a constitutional boundary and the maps are available to both States.
“I am sure that the Meghalaya government will not do anything within the constitutional boundary of the State of Assam. If they do something, that will not have any legal validity. Suppose there is a police station and that police station takes any case and if somebody goes to the court about how Meghalaya can have a police station in Assam territory, all cases will be quashed by the High Court because of jurisdiction,” he said.
The Chief Minister exuded confidence in the Meghalaya government not attempting to “come inside the constitutional boundary of Assam”.
” We are negotiating, any boundary adjustment that will happen through the committee which we have formed, but I strongly believe that the Meghalaya government will not come inside the constitutional boundary of Assam and definitely Assam will also not enter into the constitutional boundary of Meghalaya. We have already a discussion, minutes are there that till the dispute is resolved status quo will be maintained,” the Assam Chief Minister said.
He further said that vehicles are now plying and there is no problem.
“We are duty bound to secure the life of Meghalaya residents in Assam and the Meghalaya government is constitutionally bound to give security to the citizen of Assam. I don’t think that there is any problem, in last 3-4 days vehicles are plying. The vehicle movement that was restricted for the last 4-5 days that was an advisory of the Assam government,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said. (ANI)
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