Guwahati: They are not supporting any political party in the forthcoming Assam Assembly polls and are not yet decided whether to participate in the polls or not, but they have prohibited all the political parties not to rake up the gory episode of ‘secret killings;’ of ULFA kin that bled Assam during 1996-2001 when the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was in power in the state and the BJP-led NDA in the Centre.
The stand of the ULFA faction is construed significant given that they have pronounced the appeal in the wake of Assam chief minister and Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi raking up the issue of ‘secret killings’ to attack the opposition alliance of BJP and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Gogoi alleged that the killings could not have occurred without the knowledge of the then AGP government in Assam and the BJP-led NDA government in the Centre. Gogoi’s intention was clear – to malign the AGP-BJP alliance for polls.
The ULFA (pro-talks) general secretary Golap Barua alias Anup Chetia has stated, “ We (ULFA) don’t want any political party to whip up ‘secret killings’ as well as the ULFA revolution as election issues in the state. The incumbent Congress government haven’t done anything during the last 15 years of its tenure find out those involved in secret killings and subject them to trial.”
The ULFA leader stated that the group had not taken up the issue of `secret killings’ with the Government of India so far in order to avoid creating hurdles in the on-going negotiation and intended to would raise the same at the appropriate time.The ULFA group expressed ignorance about Justice (Retd) K N Saikia inquiry commission set up by the incumbent Congress government and that the report of the commission was submitted long back.
The inquiry commission report was submitted over five years back and it is now a public knowledge in the state. Moreover, chief minister Tarun Gogoi informed that Assam government had already paid compensation as per the directive of the Supreme Court to the next of kin of victims of ‘secret killings’ during 1996-2001.Congress had made secret killings a major poll issue in 2001 Assembly election in Assam against AGP and the BJP and succeeded in coming back to power in the state.
During the period when those killings of innocent kin of ULFA men were allegedly committed by masked gunmen, the AGP was in power in Assam and BJP-led NDA was in power in the Centre. The AGP was part of the NDA then.
