Assamese minister throws gauntlet to ULFA

Assam food and civil supply minister Digen Bora has dared the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to seek a people's referendum on their demand for an independent Assam.

Bora appealed to the Assamese people on Wednesday to raise their voice against ULFA crimes like killings and extortion. Without a peaceful atmosphere, the minister said no developmental activity was possible in the state.

He is the first minister in the Asom Gana Parishad government to criticise ULFA.

The Front has already issued a warning to Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Bora and Flood Control Minister Promode Gogoi to be prepared to face 'supreme punishment.' An ULFA euphemism for assassination.

Bora said ULFA's policies, when the organisation was formed, were good, but the organisation had now deviated from its path.

He said it was correct that then Congress chief minister Hiteswar Saikia was "bad", but the present chief minister too had become an object of hate for the outlawed Front. Mahanta, the minister said, was bad because he had assured the Assamese people of providing security and restoring peace in the state.

Referring to the ongoing operation under the unified command against different insurgent groups in the state, Bora said ULFA had invited the unified command by their actions and should be prepared to face them.

Bora was a mmber of the All Assam Students Union during the six-year-long Assam movement. During the movement, he said AASU had invited police action, but the students faced the security forces boldly.

The ongoing operation under the unified command, he said, would be withdrawn within a day if anyone could assure the AGP government that there would be no more killings and extortion in the state.