- Monday, February 24, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
DAYS after fierce border clashes broke out between the northeastern Indian states of Assam and Mizoram over a border dispute that saw six personnel of the Assam Police and a civilian dead and several injured, the role of a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament, has come under the scanner.
A team of Assam Police were going to New Delhi to question K Vanlalvena, a Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram, on what they allege is a deliberate provocation that led to the Mizoram Police personnel opening fire near the border on Monday (26).
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Vanlalvena allegedly told reporters outside the parliament that more than 200 policemen entered Mizoram’s territory and pushed back the state’s policemen from their posts and gave the firing order first. It was then when the Mizoram Police retaliated.
Six cops killed in violent border dispute between Assam, Mizoram
He has been accused of saying that the Mizo personnel shot the Assam officers dead because they came under attack. He allegedly said that if they came again, then all of them would be killed. The member of parliament is from Mizo National Front, which rules Mizoram and is an ally of prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
GP Singh, a senior officer of the Assam Police tweeted on Wednesday (28) saying the team has plans to take action “relating to conspiracy behind the incident in light of media interview of Rajya Sabha MP Sri K Vanlalvena indicative of his active role in conspiracy”.
@assampolice team including officers of CID are leaving for delhi to take lawful action relating to conspiracy behind the incident in light of media interview of Rajya Sabha MP Sri K Vanlalvena indicative of his active role in conspiracy.
— GP Singh (@gpsinghips) July 28, 2021
Singh said the Assam Police prepared a “picture gallery” of the people involved in the clashes, including personnel of Mizoram Police and local people who opened fire on its officers.
Assam, which is ruled by the BJP, has also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on those who carried out the attacks, Singh said in another tweet.
@assampolice also announces a reward of INR 5 lacs for information leading to arrest of each of the individuals involved in the barbaric killing of the Assam Police personnel on July 26th 2021
— GP Singh (@gpsinghips) July 28, 2021
The violence started on Monday morning at the Inner Line Reserve Forest area of Assam’s Cachar district. Later, each state accused each other of violating a previous understanding between them. Paramilitary forces were also deployed to maintain peace at the disturbed area.
It was just a few days ago that Union home minister Amit Shah met chief ministers of the northeastern states and the violence started soon after he left for New Delhi, prompting the opposition Indian National Congress to question the effectiveness of the meeting.
