Death toll rises to 53 in Assam

The toll in the clashes between minority migrants and Bodo tribals rose to 53 in Assam on Saturday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited worst-hit Kokrajhar district.

"There has been no report of any untoward incident, but three decomposed bodies have been found -- two from Kokrajhar district and one from Chirang which has taken the death toll to 53," official sources said.

Curfew in Kokrajhar  was relaxed during the day, but night curfew would continue in the district, besides in Chirang and Dhubri, the sources said. Five districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri, Baksa and Bongaigaon have been affected in the clashes, while nearly three lakh people have taken shelter in relief camps.

Meanwhile, an angry Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi denied that he had directly blamed the Centre or the army for arriving late on the scene. "I did not say anything on that line," Gogoi said in presence of the prime minister.

On Friday, at a press conference in Guwahati, the chief minister said the presence of army from day one could have prevented the violence.