Author: PTI
Publication: The Hindu
Date: October 31, 2008
URL: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200810310384.htm
Angered by the Tarun Gogoi government's alleged
failure to protect the citizens, people on Thursday attempted to storm into
the state secretariat with two of the charred bodies of serial blast victims
in Guwahati even as hundreds took to the streets in protest.
As Assam bled, a mob carrying two charred
bodies on a push cart tried to storm its way in through the gates of the secretariat
in Dispur.
The mob, shouting slogans such as "Tarun
Gogoi murdabad", was stopped at the gates of the seat of government by
the security staff.
The people demanded that "Gogoi come
out and see what your failure to protect the people has caused. It has killed
innocent people".
Street fights also erupted with people angered
by the repeated bomb blasts in Ganeshguri, which is adjacent to the high security
Secretariat and Assembly. The area was targeted by ULFA earlier several times
killing many in the vegetable market.
Angered by the alleged police delay in responding
to the bomb blast, an irate mob set ablaze a fire-tender.
To control the angry protestors, police resorted
to blank firing, official sources said.
Meanwhile, lawyers in Guwahati also have decided
not to take up cases of militants in the courts following the serial blasts
across the state.
The lawyers took the decision as soon as the
blast took place in front of the Kamrup District Deputy Commissioner's office
here.
Gawuhati High Court Chief Justice J Chameleswar
has also condemned the explosions as an "attack on society".