Guwahati, March 20 : Forest employees in Assam today set a 10-day deadline for the arrest of the two MLAs who had assaulted a ranger at Kaziranga National Park on Tuesday.
The two militant-turned- Independent MLAs - Jiten Gogoi and Kushal Duari - had assaulted ranger Dharanidhar Boro when the latter tried to prevent them from fishing inside the park.
The duo, it is alleged, had also threatened Boro by pointing an AK-47 rifle at him. Besides, the MLAs and their coterie also vandalised a control room at the divisional forest officer’s office and a forest checkgate inside the park.
The forest employees, who wore black badges today in protest against the incident, also sent a memorandum to the central forest secretary seeking his intervention.
Indra Gogoi, the general secretary of All Assam Forest Employees Association, said if the two guilty MLAs were not arrested within 10 days, the association would launch an agitation.
“We have also got support from the All India Forest Officers Association and if the two MLAs are not arrested within the stipulated timeframe, we will launch an agitation similar to the Sepoy Mutiny,” he said.
Gogoi, who has been camping at Kaziranga since yesterday, said it was shameful on the part of the two MLAs to assault a ranger and forest guards at the park.
“It is under immense stress and tension that the forest guards work at Kaziranga where there is a constant threat posed by poachers. And instead of praising the dedication of the foresters, the public representatives have beaten them up. We will not tolerate such incidents,” Gogoi said.
Police have “sounded an alert” throughout the state to arrest the two MLAs who are allegedly absconding.
Golaghat superintendent of police, Luis Aind, said the houses of both the MLAs were raided last night.
“We have received directions from Dispur to remove the PSOs attached to the two MLAs. But since the duo fled with their PSOs, the latter are still with them. We have sounded an alert,” the SP said.
Dambaru Gogoi, an employee of the tourism department who had accompanied the two MLAs inside the park, has been placed under suspension. He, too, is absconding, the SP said.
The forest department has registered a separate case under the Wildlife Protection Act against the two legislators. This is apart from the case registered at the Kohora police outpost.
With the forest and tourism department employees launching an indefinite strike yesterday, activities at Kaziranga remained suspended for the second day today. However, the jeep and elephant safaris will resume tomorrow.
Social Plugin