Surrendered NLFT cadres threaten to demonstrate half-dressed

Agartala, July 16 (UNI) About 75 surrendered militants of the banned NLFT and their family members have threatened to organise a rally on July 25 here if all criminal cases against them were not withdrawn.

Addressing a press conference here today, surrendered militant leaders Kamini Debbarmma and Mantu Koloi said they would demonstrate half-dressed in front of Raj Bhawan and submit a memorandum to the governor in this regard.

Besides, they demanded immediate resumption of daily allocation of Rs 50 to each kin of the surrendered cadres.

The leaders claimed that a group of NLFT militants had surrendered before the state police in 2004 with the assurance of economic benefits.

The administration had also committed to withdraw all cases registered against the militants during their extremist life but nothing was done so far, the leaders added.

The state government had recently stopped the daily cash dole of Rs 50 to each family member. Instead, each surrendered militant was given a monthly stipend of Rs 2000, they said, adding that it was leading them to poverty.

''Despite our repeated appeals, the administration is not paying any heed to our pleas. So we are compelled to organise the rally to draw public attention and exert pressure on the government,'' Mr Koloi added.

UNI