RDX recovered in Assam, alert ahead of Republic Day

Guwahati, Jan 20 (IANS) A huge quantity of RDX was recovered from a village in Assam’s Tinsukia district, police said, even as security forces are on alert across the state after warnings that insurgent groups may strike in the run-up to the Republic Day (Jan 26).

Police said that seven kgs of RDX were recovered from Purana Haahkhoti village under Kakopathar police station and one person has been for picked up for questioning.

Assam Police have already sounded an alert across the state after intelligence agencies reported that United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) hardliners are planning to carry out subversive activities in the run-up to Republic Day celebrations.

A senior police official said that security has been intensified along the Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya borders through which the militants might try to sneak in.

“We have received intelligence inputs that militants might try to disrupt the forthcoming Republic Day function. However, according to intelligence reports, this time the militants’ target will be smaller towns of the state instead of Guwahati,” he said.

“All the district headquarters and subdivisions of the state have been put on alert,” he said.

The official said that ULFA hardliners had tied up with the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by Songbijit, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur and the Maoists to create disturbances in Assam in the run up to the Republic Day functions.

“Some senior ULFA leaders, who had been based in Myanmar, have also changed their locations and they might try to enter Assam to carry out the subversive activities,” he said.

Militant outfits like the ULFA and NDFB have been urging people of the state to boycott the functions like Republic Day and Independence Day in Assam since last several years. However, with the law and order situation improving in Assam off late, people from all walks of life are coming out in large numbers on both days to take part in the functions.

IANS 2013-01-20 23:10:02