Goswami hints at more ULFA attacks in transition phase

Guwahati, May 9 (UNI) In the wake of attack on senior party leader Pradip Hazarika by ULFA ultras today, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Brindabon Goswami alleged that more such attacks would take place during the transition phase before formation of the next government in Asom.

Condemning the incident, Mr Goswami criticised the state government for failing to provide adequate security to AGP leader who came under attack today. The state had experienced worse insurgency-related violence during such transition period in 1991 and 1996 just before formation of new government, he said.

In 1991, just before the newly-elected Congress government could take charge, ULFA militants struck in a big way kidnapping senior ONGC and Indian Oil officials. Senior journalist Parag Das was shot dead in broad daylight in the heart of Guwahati in May 1996 just before the AGP was elected to power in the state.

Meanwhile, ULFA in the latest edition of its mouthpiece, 'Freedom', has accused Mr Hazarika of trying to form a 'special force' to fight the militant group while he was the transport minister in the cabinet headed by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta during 1996-2001.

The outfit also criticised three other senior AGP leaders for keeping a blind eye to 'secret killings' of the kin of the ULFA the in the state during the previous AGP regime.

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