Daughter of Maneswar Basumatari, a martyred Jawan in CRPF attack, says perpetrators must be punished

"The perpetrators must be punished for killing my father, our jawans, even if it means carrying out surgical strikes across the border," demanded the daughter of CRPF Head Constable Maneswar Basumatari, who was martyred in Thursday's terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Basumatari, the head constable CRPF 98 Battalion was among the 40 soldiers who were killed in the Pulwama attack. He is survived by his daughter, Didmaswari, wife, Sunmati, and son.

"We want justice. Give a befitting reply to the cowards responsible for the Pulwama attack," said an inconsolable Didmaswari on Friday. Talking to reporters at the family's residence in Kalabari village in Assam's Baksa district, she also demanded that the government should look after the family now.

Basumatari had recently visited home, said the slain head constable's wife with tears running down her face. She was unable to talk further. After the attack, there were rumours circulating on social media that three more soldiers from Assam had been killed in the attack. The CRPF jawans rumoured to have been killed in the blast took to Facebook on Friday to refute the rumours.

One of the soldiers, Mizing Basumatary of Udalguri district said in a Facebook post, "This is fake news. I am doing fine and nothing has happened to me. Please don't share the fake post." CRPF jawan, Pabitra Barman, a native of Bongaigaon, said, "Hi friends...I am fully safe & sound. I'm deployed in other district of Kashmir, which is far away from Pulwama where the mischief happened. Jai Hind."

Family of the third CRPF jawan, Ananta Saiki of Nagaon district's Gorubandha, also stated that he was safe. His sister, Purnima, told reporters, "By God's grace, Ananta is safe. He called us today. He was on a bus which was ahead of the convoy of 78 vehicles, carrying 2,547 CRPF jawans, that was attacked."

Meanwhile, various organisations held protests across Assam. Protesters burnt effigies of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, which claimed responsibility for the attack, and flags of the neighbouring country. Protests were held by members of Sadou Assam Goria Moriya Yuva Chatra Parishad, a minority students' organisation, All Bodo Minority Students Union, ABVP, Krishak Shramik Unayan Parishad, Hindu Jagran Manch. Protesters raised anti-Pakistan slogans.

People lit oil lamps across the state in memory of the martyrs. The Congress paid tributes to the martyred jawans at its party office at Rajiv Bhavan here. Paramananda Rajbangshi, president of Assam Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary body in the state, condemned the terror attack and urged the people to unitedly oppose forces trying to destabilise the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)