Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 1: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has expressed unhappiness with the decision taken at the chief minister-level border talks between Assam and Meghalaya to remove the police forces of both the states from the disputed areas and instead deploy a neutral force such as the CRPF. 

"As a party we are not very happy with the decision of the CMs Assam and Meghalaya to remove the state Police and deploy CRPF instead due to the fact that the Central Forces are under the control of the BJP Govt and this might just give advantages to the BJP Govt of Assam under the leadership of Shri Himanta Biswa," KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said in a statement.

"We strongly demand that the Govt should not remove the Meghalaya police from these Border outposts for the safety and interest of the citizens of the State," he said.

Yesterday, chief minister Conrad K Sangma had said the meeting of the two States have expressed concern over the recent incidents of violence at the disputed Block-I and Khanduli-Psiar area in West Jaintia Hills District and Karbi Anglong District. Sangma said the two States have decided to deploy the central reserve police force (CRPF) as a ‘neutral force’ in such areas.

He said that both the state governments have decided to pull back their respective police forces from such areas and this is being done to build up the confidence level of the people adding “This is being done to send a positive message to the people and as I said neutral forces will come into those places and that way we will ensure that there is no violence,” Sangma had stated.