Guwahati, Nov 3 : The All Assam Students'''' Union (AASU) called for an 11-hour shutdown on Monday to protest against the failure of the Assam Government to protect the people from the recent serial blasts.

The union shortened its proposed 24-hour shutdown to 11-hours to reduce inconvenience to the family members of the injured who have to commute to the hospitals.

The shutdown began from 6:00 a. m..

" We cannot tolerate such barbaric acts. It is the handiwork of the fundamentalist groups and the government is aware about these fundamentalist groups,” said Sammujal Bhattacharya, advisor, AASU.

“There is intelligence report of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI), Al-Qaeda, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other fundamentalist groups that are active in Assam but the Union Home Minister, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Assam are indifferent,” added Bhattacharya.

The shops and businesses establishments remained closed and vehicles remained off the roads.

The security personnel have been deployed across the state as a precautionary measure.

However, all essential services have been exempted from the purview of the shutdown.

Twelve high intensity serial blasts rocked Guwahati and some other cities of lower Assam on October 30, leaving 76 dead and over 300 injured.

The State Home Department has indicated that there is clear evidence of the United Liberation Front of Ahom (ULFA)-jihadi hand behind the blasts. The jihadi hand according to intelligence sources is the Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI).

Indian Mujahideen, a front organisation of HUJI and Lashkar - e Toiba - has claimed responsibility for the Assam serial blasts. It made the claim in an SMS sent to a local TV channel. (ANI)