The Hindu : Front Page : Rajkhowa, Barua produced in court

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Rajkhowa, Barua produced in court

Sushanta Talukdar

ULFA chief rules out talks with handcuffs on

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KANWAR

PRIZE CATCH: Chairman of the United Liberation Front of Asom Arabinda Rajkhowa being brought to the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Guwahati on Saturday.

Guwahati: United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the outfit’s self-styled deputy commander-in-chief, Raju Barua, who were arrested and brought here, on Saturday denied that they had surrendered as claimed by the government.

Responding to journalists’ questions on the premises of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court, Mr. Rajkhowa said there could be no peace talks with handcuffs on.

The two top ULFA leaders and self-styled sergeant, Raja Bora, were brought to the court around 5.30 p.m. with handcuffs on under heavy escort and produced before CJM Robin Phukan.

Mr. Rajkhowa claimed that the ULFA wanted to enter into a dialogue but the government did not allow it to happen. “We should have come wearing the garland of victory, but we have come with handcuffs on …You are humiliating those leaders by asking whether they have surrendered.”

Immediately after getting down from a bus in which they were brought to the court, Mr. Rajkhowa and Mr. Barua shouted to journalists: “We have not surrendered. We will never do so.”

Mr. Rajkhowa asked his elder brother, Ajay Rajkonwar, inside the court building to convey to the people of Assam that he was not in favour of peace talks minus the claim for sovereignty of Assam.

“One should not talk about peace talks with handcuffs on. One must be freed. There must be an atmosphere to become free,” Mr. Rajkhowa shouted.

The court remanded the three ULFA leaders to 12 days’ police custody.

Earlier in the day, the self-styled commander-in-chief of the ULFA, Paresh Barua, denied any split in the outfit and claimed that Mr. Rajkhowa had not surrendered.

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