The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was today mum on a fresh incident of confrontation between Assam and Mizoram related to their boundary dispute.
Mizoram alleged that a JCB operator working for it was abducted by Assam Police yesterday, creating fresh tension in the inter-State boundary dispute.
Assam, however, denied the Mizoram charge. According to reports, Assam accused its neighbouring State of constructing camps on its land.
Several Assam police personnel were killed in the Mizo firing at the end of last July when tension between the two North Eastern States came to a boiling point.
When the Centre intervened, a meeting of the two States’ Directors-General of Police and Chief Secretaries took place at the Union Home Secretary’s office here.
It was agreed that a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) unit under a senior CRPF officer would be posted at the disturbed area on the two States’ boundary. It was hoped that the deployment of the “neutral” force would prevent any further violence.
Although the top officials of the two States had agreed they would hold mutual discussions to resolve the border issue in an amicable manner, there have been incidents proving tension in relations between the two States was far from over. The CRPF unit was posted along the National Highway 306.
The Centre has consistently maintained that it does not go beyond acting as a facilitator for amicable settlement of inter-State boundary disputes in the country.