Silchar, Nov 29 (PTI): Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he does not approve of police firing on civilians, which should be resorted to only against terrorists and criminals.
The firing by the Assam police and State forest guards at Mukroh in a disputed area of the Assam-Meghalaya border which claimed six lives a week ago will, however, have no impact on the ”broader landscape of relations” between the two States, Sarma told a press conference here.
Negotiations are on between the two Northeastern States and any boundary adjustment will happen through the Committee formed for the purpose by them, he said.
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“Taking the life of civilians is not acceptable … Police should use its weapons against terrorists and criminals and not against civilians. I do not approve of the firing,” he said after presiding over a cabinet meeting.
Iterating that the State police should not have fired on civilians at Mukroh, he said there could have been other ways to prevent the movement of trucks laden with alleged illegal timber.
The firing at Mukroh on November 22 by Assam police and forest guards took place after such a truck was intercepted by them. The violence had claimed the lives of five civilians of Meghalaya and a forest protection personnel of Assam.
Referring to the incident, Sarma, who was speaking after chairing a cabinet meeting, said there is a constitutional boundary between the States.
“Maps are available and I am sure that the Meghalaya Government will not do anything unconstitutional within Assam … If it does something like setting up a police station in Assam territory it will have no legal validity and the (Gauhati) High Court will quash all cases that come up for hearing as the police stations will be in another state,” he said.
”We have had discussions … The status quo will be maintained until the dispute is resolved”, the chief minister said.
