GUWAHATI: Despite a boycott call from some militant groups, people in the Northeast turned out in large numbers to celebrate the 76th Republic Day on Sunday.Reports of no untoward incidents were received, even though a loud sound heard at a truck parking lot in the Beharbari area on the outskirts of Guwahati and an unattended bag lying at the inter-state bus terminal nearby triggered panic among people.The police dismissed the reports of a blast.“There was a loud sound but no explosion. We are investigating it,” Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta told TNIE.The Paresh Baruah faction of the insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) sent an email to the media, claiming responsibility for “blasts” at two places in Guwahati. The outfit said it had no intention to harm anyone but wanted to send a message to people to not participate in Independence Day and Republic Day programmes in the future.The ULFA and some other extremist groups had separately called for a boycott of the Republic Day celebrations.Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his speech, said the government was developing infrastructure to turn Dibrugarh, Tezpur, and Silchar towns into cities.“Dibrugarh will have an Assembly complex by 2027 and will be Assam’s second capital. Tezpur will emerge as the cultural capital and will house a Raj Bhawan. Silchar will house a mini secretariat and chief secretary’s office,” Sarma said.
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