CM denies bid to appease ULFA

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said the Congress-led Government in the state would continue to take...

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said the Congress-led Government in the state would continue to take “strong” steps against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

Gogoi also dismissed allegations leveled by former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta that the Congress-led Government had adopted a policy of appeasing the insurgents, and said the Government had no intentions of slowing down operations against the ULFA. “I strongly deny Mahanta’s allegations. Why should I take such a policy? We are against insurgency, and it is my Government’s responsibility to control the situation,” Gogoi said.

Referring to the Saikia Commission’s recommendations of “gradual dismantling” of the Unified Command Structure and sending the army back to the barracks, Gogoi said the time was not conducive to withdraw army operations against the ULFA and other groups. “While the ULFA is still active, there is also this additional threat perception from jehadi groups in the state,” the CM said.

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On Thursday, Mahanta had alleged that Gogoi was trying to appease the militants and said the Saikia Commission’s recommendations of gradual dismantling of the Unified Command Structure was indicative of such a move in the near future. The Saikia Commission was asked to probe those incidents that occurred during Mahanta’s term in which relatives of some top ULFA leaders were killed and in which the police could not identify the killers.

“We keep reviewing the insurgency situation and the Unified Command’s activities every three months. But the time is not yet conducive to withdraw the army or dismantle the Unified Command,” he said.