Govt will not tolerate violence: Asom CM

Guwahati, May 27: Asom chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today warned the outlawed ULFA against killing innocent people and said the Government would not tolerate such acts of violence.

He said ULFA's has sinister designs in its latest offensive in Guwahati city for generating media attention.

The outfit blasted nine powerful bombs in just under three months to instill fear among the people in the city. In the current month, the outfit detonated five bombs, rendering the police to be a mere spectator.

'' I know there have been lapses. But it is humanely impossible to protect the city as the ULFA is engaging most unsuspecting elements to carry out the bombing'' Mr Gogoi said.

Celebrating his government's first year in office in the second term with a big bash at the Judge's field today, Mr Gogoi said, '' If they are talking the language of bombs, then they are mistaken. The Government will not tolerate it.'' The outfit however, had a different view realising that the recent bombing at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati city, the predominant working area of the Hindi speaking business community, would give them maximum mileage.

"Bombing in Guwahati and that too in Hindi speaking people's area was noticed by both Delhi and national media. Similar blasts in the districts might go unnoticed and hence they (Ufla rebels) have targeted the Guwahati city" said a senior police official of Special Branch. Of the nine bombings, seven balsted at Fancy Bazar areas within a radius of less than one km and it was fortunate that not many life had been lost in those violence.

The ADC, Kamrup, C K Bhuyan, said that most of these bombs were of moderate intensity but yesterday's blast was a major and the subsequent explosion of an LPG cylinder was worst.

Meanwhile, Mr Gogoi made a reshuffle in police administration changing the head of Guwahati police to boost morale of the force.

But the Ulfa was relentless targeting unsuspect areas to hoodwink the intelligence and law enforcing agencies.

" We have now much less number of heads in the force. We wanted to appoint more but the court cases stalled the whole proceedings.

We are badly in need of more forces. The Para-military forces are not enough'' said the Chief Minister.

Agitated people of Guwahati city, mainly in the Fancy Bazar area, have gone after police as well as the Ulfas rebels. They were now openly protesting the Ulfa activity and were becoming disenchanted with the force to protect life and property of the civilians.

"I am amazed at the character of people of Guwahati. They are brave people. In apparent look you can not find the fear in their faces. But that is everywhere if you look between their eyes'' said noted educationist Hrishikesh Goswami.

Now they have come out openly against Ulfa and tomorrow there will be bandh in Guwahati city against the perpetrators, he aded.

UNI