ULFA And NDFB May Target Politics in Assam

NEW DELHI: Amid controversy over whether the barbaric attacks carried out by the anti-talk faction of NDFB on December 23 were at the behest of Songbijit Ingti Kathar, the chairman of NDFB(S) or not, another revelation has been made by the Assam police.

Divulging the fact that both the ULFA and NDFB(S) may try and plan an attack before the ensuing Republic Day, he warned that political leaders particularly are in the hitlist of the banned NDFB(S).

Quoting intelligence inputs, Additional Director General of Assam Police RM Singh said that several political leaders of Assam belonging to different parties could be targeted by the banned outfit which unleashed a reign of terror in the State.

Further informing that the police has already arrested a hardcore ULFA leader identified as Kamal Laskar alias David Asom, from Raha area who was planning to plant a bomb in Guwahati before January 26, he stated “The explosives were to arrive at a later stage”.

Meanwhile, confusion continues over the man behind the bestial attacks on innocent Adivasis on December 23 carried out by NDFB militants.

On the one hand, IGP law and order of state police, SN Singh said that the massacre didn't have the consent of the chairman of the anti-talk faction of the NDFB, Songbijit Ingti Kathar, however, on the other, Chief minister Tarun Gogoi differs.

Gogoi strongly stated that Songbijit clearly knew about the killings while the Assam police claimed that commander-in-chief of anti-talk NDFB B Bidai had orchestrated the massacre without the consent of Songbijit.

The Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sharad Kumar, arrived in Assam this morning for a three-day visit and met the Chief Minister at his official residence.

He also met other NIA officials and reportedly sought information on possible leads that led to the reign of terror unleashed by the Bodo militants recently in Assam.

Kumar was also briefed on the incident by senior state government and police officials, including the chief secretary and the director-general of police among others.

Further, he would also be visiting Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts. Meanwhile, the security forces arrested ten NDFB-S militants in connection with the recent atrocious killing of Adivasi villagers in Assam’s Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang districts out of which seven NDFB-S cadres were directly involved in the massacre.

A total of 128 police cases have been registered so far in connection with the carnage and 83 arrests made.

Also, the number of camp inmates are decreasing steadily and normalcy appears to be returning in the four violence-hit districts in the state.

Steps are also being taken to bring back villagers who fled to the neighbouring West Bengal during the violence.

Informing this, Assam home commissioner L.S. Changsan said that the officials of the Kokrajhar district administration today proceeded to West Bengal to bring back displaced persons from Assam taking shelter in relief camps in Alipurduar district.

She also added "The situation in Sonitpur and the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) is improving, with no report of violence in the past 10 days. The number of camp inmates has decreased following improved security arrangements in the vulnerable areas”.

Earlier, Centre extended Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA),1958 to the entire state of Assam for another year, also extending it to the area falling within 20 km of the inter-state border of Assam in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh via a government order dated November 4,2014.