The Hindu : National : Give up violence, Gogoi tells ULFA

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Give up violence, Gogoi tells ULFA

Special Correspondent

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday asked the United Liberation Front of Asom(ULFA) chief Paresh Barua to give up violence and come out of the clutches of the ISI to sit for peace talks.

Mr Gogoi alleged that the ULFA has been indulging in violence with its top brass sheltered in Bangladesh and acting at the behest of foreign forces inimical to India.

He insisted that civil society groups should force the ULFA leadership to come forward for peace talks.

Accusing the ULFA of being behind the Sunday’s blast, the Chief Minister alleged that for the outfit innocent people of the State have become enemies now.

He also alleged that the ULFA-constituted People’s Consultative Group (PCG) does not represent the people of Assam and the group only represents the militant outfit.

He underlined the need for an initiative by civil society groups to broker peace in the State.

Speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister asked the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Brindaban Goswami and peace mediator and noted writer Indira Goswami a.k.a Mamoni Raisom Goswami to clarify their stand on ULFA’s demand for “Assam’s sovereignty.”

The Chief Minister, however, said that he was yet to receive the formal communiqué from the ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies of the ULFA’s 28 Battalion about their unilateral truce declaration.

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