Fresh threat by Ulfa(I) to attack BJP poll rallies

In its continued tirade against the BJP-led alliance, the outlawed Ulfa(I) on Wednesday threatened to target the BJP’s election rallies if they fail to clarify the party’s stand on seven issues flagged by the outfit.

Cautioning the people to refrain from attending rallies of BJP leaders, the outfit in its statement to the local media asked the BJP to let the Ulfa(I) know the whereabouts of 26 of its cadres and leaders who have been missing since the operation against the outfit in Bhutan in 2004.

It demanded public apology from the BJP’s CM candidate Sarbananda Sonowal and party leader Himanta Biswa Sharma for their roles in the alleged killings and Bhaskar Sharma’s alleged role in “secret killings”. The outfit further demanded assurance that the “secret killings” (extrajudicial killings that had targeted Ulfa kin) will not reoccur and establish beyond doubt that its leaders Chandra Mohan Patowary and Padma Hazarika and its ally the AGP’s Prafulla Kumar Mahanta were not linked to the “secret killings”. The outfit also demanded clarification from Mr Sonowal that the future of the state has not been put at stake before the BJP’s national leadership and whether he has remained loyal to his nationalist feelings towards the state.

It also questioned the BJP’s silence over purported remarks made by its MP Rameswar Teli against the Ahom community.

The Ulfa (I) had previously also targeted the BJP for patronising and fielding a surrendered Ulfa leader Bhaskar Sharma as its party nominee from Margherita constituency, alleging that Mr Sharma was a leader of the ‘secret killings’.

The outfit had also questioned Mr Sonowal and Mr Sharma’s role in killings of youth leaders and activists in the state.

The anti-talk faction of Ulfa (I) led by Paresh Barua, has been vocal against the BJP led alliance ahead of next month’s state polls.

Assam will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and 11 next.