PHOTOS: Rahul visits relief camps in violence-hit Assam

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited violence-displaced people lodged in three relief camps in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri to gauge the rehabilitation measures undertaken by the administration.

Immediately after his arrival at the Guwahati airport, Gandhi boarded a chopper and visited the Gambaridil relief camp at Kokrajhar district under Dotoma police station, Lakhiganj ME Madrasa Relief Camp at Bilasipara sub-division in Dhubri district and Basugaon Higher Secondary School relief camp in Chirang district.

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He was accompanied from Guwahati by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhubaneswar Kalita.

Chief Executive Member of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Hagrama Mohilary met Gandhi at the Gambaridil relief camp to apprise him of the prevailing situation. Influential All Bodo Students' Union submitted a memorandum to the visiting Congress leader at Gambaridil.

According to figures made available by the Assam government, there are ,77,366 violence-displaced inmates still lodged in total 214 relief camps in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri and the adjoining districts of Bongaigaon and Barpeta.

There are 56,456 inmates in 44 relief camps in Kokrajhar district, 26,377 inmates in 23 relief camps in Chirang district and 1,05,390 inmates in 135 relief camps in Dhubri district, 5554 inmates in nine relief camps Bongaigaon district and 756 inmates in three relief camps in Barpeta district.

Earlier, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Finance Minister P Chidambaram had visited the affected areas.

Night curfew is still on in all the three violence-hit districts as an undercurrent of tension was still prevailing.

A home department source informed that some vested forces were still trying to stoke a fresh clashes in the area and this was evident what happened in Dhubri.

Dhubri had witnessed two rounds of clashes between members of two religious communities on September 8 after a place of worship was vandalised and looted by unidentified miscreants.

The situation in Dhubri n western Assam is now under control, but curfew continued to be imposed in the town through intermittent relaxation in daytime.

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