Members of the Ward 19 Citizens’ Committee, led by Kishore Giri, a singer and guitarist, took out a peace procession in Guwahati on Tuesday. The procession, organised by Bina Pani Club, sent out an appeal for peace. Picture by UB Photos

Nov. 25: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today assured the state’s Bihari community that a CBI probe would be instituted, if required, to get to the bottom of the ongoing mayhem that has so far claimed 56 lives since November 17.

Gogoi gave his assurance in the worst-hit Tinsukia district after a four-hour stocktaking tour of affected areas in Upper Assam this morning.

PCC chief Pawan Singh Ghatowar, chief secretary J.P. Rajkhowa, director-general of police P.V. Sumant and other senior officials accompanied Gogoi on the tour.

After visiting the refugee camps, 24 of which are in Tinsukia, and meeting senior citizens and officials, Gogoi said he would do everything possible to restore order, including handing over the probe into the unrest to the investigating agency.

Purbottar Hindustani Sammelan president Rajendra Prasad Singh, who submitted a memorandum to Gogoi, said the government has promised all possible steps to check the unrest.

Gogoi and his delegation, however, received a shock at Doom Dooma, one of the worst-affected areas in the district. Angry inmates of the relief camp vented their ire on them.

Gogoi had to beat an unceremonious retreat from the Hindi Lower Primary school relief camp to escape the ire of at least 600 inmates of the camp.

“Chief Minister go back. Congress murdabad. Gogoi hai, hai”: These were some of the slogans that rent the air as the chief minister arrived at the camp straight from a helipad soon after noon. Matters took a turn for the worse when security forces prevented some women staying at the relief camp from speaking out. This incensed the inmates further.

The inmates of the camp were not any happier when Gogoi started his speech in Assamese, in which he blamed the Centre for not sending adequate security forces to Assam.

The irate group chased the convoy of the delegation, ransacked a nearby Congress office and even pelted stones at a bus. The vehicle was partially damaged.

At another relief camp at Devipukhuri in Tinsukia town, however, the chief minister managed to talk to a few inmates.

He also faced the ire of a delegation of students’ organisations waiting at the circuit house to meet him. However, they submitted a memorandum to Gogoi and left.

The overall situation in Tinsukia as well as other Upper Assam districts remained calm today. Curfew was relaxed in Tinsukia town from 6 am to 5 pm.