'Assam carried out eviction drive in Arunachal territory'

Officers of Assam forest department along with police personnel allegedly carried out eviction drive in the territory of Arunachal Pradesh, official sources here said.
Personnel of Jinjia police station in Assam's Sonitpur district carried out the eviction drive in East Kameng district of Arunachal on Monday, assaulted villagers of Dipik and warned them against taking up agricultural activities there, the sources claimed.
They also reportedly demolished a church in Lower Dikhalumukh under Seijosa police station of East Kameng district.
Expressing resentment at the violation of the Supreme Court's directive to maintain status quo along the disputed boundary, Health & Family Welfare Minister Atum Welly, who represents the area, urged Chief Minister Nabam Tuki to take up the issue with his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi.

When contacted, Assam Health & Education Minister Himanata Biswa Sarma said he was not aware of the incident but said he would direct the Director General of Police for immediate steps to not repeat such incidents in future.
Seijosa additional deputy commissioner Tayer Pado said a police team visited Lower Dikhalumukh yesterday and East Kameng deputy commissioner Tope Bam was apprised of the situation there.

Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy had termed it "a breach of trust that could jeopardize the bilateral relations between the two sisterly states. Such condemnable and uncalled for evictions should be avoided at all costs."

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) demanded that the state government file contempt petition against Assam at the Supreme Court for violating its order.
An AAPSU team visited the spot yesterday and questioned the status of the department of border affairs which was especially created to take care of border problems.
The boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal was decades old.