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'ULFA issuing contradictory statements'

By Barun Das Gupta

GUWAHATI, JUNE 28. The Union Minister of State for Defence, B.K. Handique, today set at rest speculations of a dialogue between the Government and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

Interacting with mediapersons here, he said: "Who says there is a possibility of talks with the ULFA? Unless they come forward, whom do we talk to?"

Mr. Handique denied that the ULFA had sent any "feelers'' to the Centre. The only "peace hints'' from the banned outfit came through newspapers. He accused the ULFA of issuing "contradictory statements."

He also denied any possibility of the Centre declaring a unilateral ceasefire with the outfit.

Earlier, Mr. Handique, along with the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, inaugurated a CII-sponsored seminar and exhibition on defence procurement from the local small-scale industry (SSI) units.

The buyer-seller meet was attended by officials of the Army (Ordnance), the Air Force, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) and 35 exhibitors, who also displayed their products at the exhibition.

Mr. Handique and Mr. Gogoi said there was a huge scope for the SSI units to supply a wide-range of products, such as clothing, fabrication material, footwear and chemicals, rubber and metal products, to these agencies. These are now being procured from outside the region.

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