NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday termed the killings in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants an "act of cowardice and inhumanity."

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil described it as "an attempt to disturb communal harmony in Assam." He said the Government was always willing to talk to any group to find a peaceful solution to problems but warned that killing of innocent people would not be tolerated.

Security reviewed

Mr. Patil, who called an emergency meeting in the Home Ministry, reiterated the commitment of the Government to deal with terrorism firmly. He sought the full cooperation of the people of Assam in the fight against the menace. The meeting reviewed security measures in the State and the assessment was that the Home Ministry would offer all assistance to the State Government in terms of making available more forces and other inputs.

A high-level team of the Ministry, led by Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal, is rushing to Assam on Sunday.

Describing the killings as "dastardly," the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress-led Governments both at the Centre and in the State of being "negligent" while dealing with the ULFA.

Talking to reporters, party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad charged the Congress with taking the help of the ULFA in elections and that was the reason why it was unable to deal with the banned outfit firmly.

Mr. Prasad said it was "very strange" that Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal just returned from Guwahati after undertaking a thorough security review in view of the national games being held there and giving a "clean chit" to the State Government. "We would like the Centre to ensure that the State Government fulfilled its Constitutional obligation of securing the safety of the people."

Terming the killings "barbaric acts of terrorism," the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) said Hindi speaking labourers were specifically targeted.

"The targeting of innocent civilians shows a complete contempt for the most fundamental principles of humanity and such widespread killings constitute crimes against humanity," said Suhas Chakma, Director of ACHR.

He feared that the targeting of a particular linguistic group "is a naked attempt to raise communal tensions."

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