NEWS

ULFA chief denies split in outfit

By K Anurag in Guwahati
September 04, 2008 19:36 IST
The fugitive chairman of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom, Arabinda Rajkhowa has asserted that there was no split in the outfit's ranks notwithstanding the recent unilateral truce declared by the outfit's now dissolved 28th battalion led by Jiten Dutta and Mrinal Hazarika.

The ULFA chairman in the latest edition of the organization's mouthpiece Freedom, a soft copy of which was made available through the internet, termed the unilateral peace overture by the leaders of its erstwhile strike force, the 28 th battalion a temporary passing phase in the history of struggle of the ULFA.

The ULFA leader alleged that there had been attempts to drive wedge in ULFA ranks by branding those who have declared unilateral truce sans approval of the top brass of the outfit, as pro-talks leaders.

Rajkhowa accused the pro-talks faction leader Jiten Dutta who has since been expelled from the outfit, of trying to convince the members of outfit's 709th and 27 th battalions to join the truce bandwagon to trigger an erosion of cadres in the ULFA.

Regarding Jiten Dutta's recent visit to Guwahati and Tezpur jails to meet senior ULFA leaders in jail,  the chairman claimed that all the jailed leaders had categorically told Dutta that their stand vis-a-vis  the peace  talks with the Indian  government was not any different from the stand that is being persisted with, by the ULFA leadership.

The ULFA chairman also flayed the government for not providing a Bihar-like relief package to Assam that is also reeling under severe floods and termed it another glaring manifestation of the 'step-motherly attitude' of the government towards Assam.

He said the ULFA firmly believed that the government had no sincere intention to solve the burning problem of flood  and illegal migration that are dogging Assam.

K Anurag in Guwahati

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