Curfew in Assam town to prevent backlash

An indefinite curfew is imposed in Dibrugarh in an attempt to prevent a possible backlash following violence.

An indefinite curfew was imposed on Monday in the eastern Assam town of Dibrugarh in an attempt to prevent a possible backlash following the deadly attacks targeting Hindi-speaking people, who were to stage massive protests, officials said.

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"Dibrugarh is under curfew fearing violent protests by Hindi-speaking people," district police chief V Ramisetti said.

Three days of carnage unleashed by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) that began on Friday has left 66 people dead, 57 of them Hindi-speaking migrant workers.

"A few bodies of people killed on Saturday near Sadia in Tinsukia district are to arrive in Dibrugarh in an ambulance and hundreds of people are waiting to stage a protest march carrying the corpses," said another police official.

"The curfew was imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent any backlash,"he added.

The proposed protest march was to coincide with the Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's visit to Dibrugarh.

The minister arrived in Tinsukia on early Monday and visited families of those killed in the savage attacks.