Locals clashed with police during an eviction drive in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district near the inter-state border with Nagaland on Sunday, officials said.
Security forces fired several rounds in the air and lobbed tear gas shells as locals, protesting the eviction, hurled stones at them, they said.
The people, whom the government claims to be encroachers, were peacefully protesting in the Lahorijan area against the operation by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council but trouble started as authorities attempted to pull down a place of worship.
Soon the protestors, who were shouting slogans with placards in their hands, turned violent and started hurling stones at the security personnel, police said.
Two policemen, including the officer-in-charge of Khatkhati police station Raju Duara, received minor injuries, they said.
To control the situation, police lobbed tear gas shells and also fired in the air, they added.
The eviction drive was carried out to clear 100 “illegal” houses from the area, officials said.
Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner Dibakar Nath and Superintendent of Police Pushpraj Singh were present at the spot to oversee the operation.
Similar operations were carried out in the area on December 20 and 24.
The Assam government has been evicting “encroachers” in different parts of the state after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office in May last year.
Two people were killed and several injured as a similar eviction drive was carried out in Gorukhuti area of Darrang district in September..
An eviction drive was also carried out in Lumding forest area of Hojai district in November.
