KOLKATA, India - India's northeastern state of Assam is cut off from rest of the country as the railway track and highway leading to the state have been blocked by workers of the Bodo People's Front (BPF) from Wednesday morning protesting against the arrest of their legislator Pradip Brahma.

With Assam cut off the entire north east region comprising rest six states are also cut off.

An Assam Police officer said over telephone curfew prevailed in the three districts of Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) and Brahma was picked up from his home in Dotoma at 1:00 am this morning and charged with conspiracy, arson and looting.

The three districts had witnessed month long communal riots between Bodo tribesmen and Muslim settlers riots in which 77 people had died and half a million people rendered homeless.

The agitators who blocked all trains and vehicles demanded immediate release of Brahma and arrest of Dhubri member of Indian parliament elected from Dhubri constituency in Assam, Sheikh Badruddin Ajmal, a perfume businessman and president of All Indian Assam United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

They alleged it was Baddrudiin who brought "infiltrators from Bangladesh and fueled communal tension leading to riots and also provided arms and ammunitions to the Bangaldeshis."

The police officer, on conditions of anonymity, said, "the situation particularly in Kokrajhar district is tense and the army is kept as stand by."