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Friday, Aug 10, 2007
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Conditional offer to ULFA

Sushanta Talukdar

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday told the Assam Assembly that his Government was ready to release jailed leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to facilitate peace negotiation provided the militant outfit comes forward for direct talks.

The Chief Minister said this on the floor of the House in response to a demand raised by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) that the government should release the five jailed leaders as promised to the ULFA-appointed People’s Consultative Group (PCG). AGP member Chandra Mohan Patowary raised the demand during a discussion on “deteriorating law and order situation” in the State.

Apart from the AGP, other opposition parties — the BJP, the CPI(M) and the CPI —, while taking part in the discussion, alleged that the people were feeling insecure following series of bomb blasts and attacks on innocent civilians by militant outfits.

Drawing attention to the bomb blast and Wednesday’s attack on innocent Hindi-speaking people by militants in Karbi Anglong district, the Opposition accused the State Government of failing to protect lives and properties of the common people and called for a political dialogue to solve the insurgency problem.

Mr. Gogoi said the ULFA has been targeting innocent civilians and not the security forces as its strike capability has gone down considerably.

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