AGP demands immediate resumption of peace talks with ULFA

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) Asom Gana Parishad today urged the Centre to immediately hold peace talks with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

Addressing mediapersons after a demonstration, here AGP President Brindabon Goswami said the 'long standing demand of people of Asom and North East regarding the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958' is yet to be decided though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured its review through a commission.

He said this demonstration was also to protest the total breakdown of law and order machinery in Asom ever since the Congress-led government assumed office in June this year. ''The law and order situation has deteriorated so much that everybody in Asom feels insecure,'' Mr Goswami claimed, adding that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had publicly admitted that he has totally failed to protect the life and property of the people in the state.

The AGP also demanded the National Register of Citizen (NRC) be updated by the state government as per the Assam Accord, in a specific time frame as decided upon in the tripartite meeting with All Assam Students Union (AASU) on May 5, 2005 here.

''The government is trying to avoid the issue by simply shifting its responsibility to the state government. The AGP demands immediate updating of the NRC and issuing photo identity card based on the updated register,'' he added.

The illegal migrant issue should be solved in a time bound manner as per the Assam Accord, Mr Goswami said.

The party wants immediate sealing of the India-Bangladesh border to stop further infiltration and for resolving inter-state boundary disputes amicably, he added.

The demonstration, led by Mr Goswami, included the party's Lok Sabha Members Dr Arun Kumar Sarma and Sarbanand Sonwal and twenty party MLAs of the Asom Legislative Assembly.

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