Assam: ULFA calls bandh against Sonia's visit

The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam has called for 12-hout Assam bandh on May 26 to protest the visit of the united Progressive Alliance chairman and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to Guwahati on that day.

The ULFA bandh call came even as the Congress government in Assam led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi p-repares to welcome Gandhi, who is coming to grace the first anniversary of the Gogoi government's third successive term here.

The Assam government is planning a mega event to showcase the achievement of the Congress in the state before Gandhi on the occasion of the anniversary day celebrations to be held at the sprawling Sarusajai National Games Stadium at the outskirt of Guwahati.

The Congress has been ruling Assam since 2001 after getting successive mandates from the people in three Assembly elections held in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

In a statement e-mailed to the media in Guwahati, the ULFA faction has called for a 12-hour Assam bandh from 6 am of May 26 to protest the visit.

The ULFA stated that it has called for the bandh to protest against "continued colonial occupation of India in Assam, and the government's bid to set up nuclear warheads in Assam, for converting Assam to a thriving ground of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, efforts to set up National Counter Terrorism Centre and setting up of big hydropower projects in collusion with big industry names to exploit the water resources of the State".

The ULFA had called for a similar bandh on April 20 this year when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had come to Guwahati to inaugurate the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Assam Legislative Assembly.