Unified Command proposal for Assam approved

New Delhi, Aug 14: After coming under attack from its own allies, the RJD and the Left, and the Opposition in the Lok Sabha today on the recent killings by ULFA militants, the Centre said it had given the 'green signal' for the setting up of a unified command of the army, para military and other security forces which were fighting militants in Assam.

The Centre would do everything to protect such migrant labourers from Bihar and other states working in Assam, Mr Patil assured the House during zero hour after RJD, Left, SP, JD(U) and BJP members demanded the dismissal of the Congress government in Assam for its failure to protect migrants and its alleged collusion with ULFA militants.

RJD, Left and opposition members said about 100 migrant labourers had been kidnapped and killed by ULFA in recent months and the state government had remained a mute spectator. All this was happening despite the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Assam, they said and alleged that the Centre was merely paying lip sympathy for the victims.

Among those who took the Centre and the Assam government to task were Mr Ramjilal Suman (SP), Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Mr Hannan Mollah (CPI-M), Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav and Mr Ramkirpal Yadav (both RJD), Prof V K Malhotra, Mr Yogi Adityanath, Mr Rasa Singh Rawat and Mr Shahnawaz Hussain (all BJP), Mr Prabhunath Singh (JD-U).

The anguished members said ULFA was getting help from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan.

Mr Patil said the Centre was in constant touch with the Assam Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.

The Union Minister of State for Home, a special committee and security officials were already visiting Assam and the MoS would submit his report in a day or two.

He said two remote districts had been identified as the most affected by such militant attacks and the number of police stations and personnel was being increased.

In villages which did not have police stations, patrolling, particularly in the night, was being intensified. The Centre had already given 110 companies of CRPF.

The main problem was the parochial mindset and this had to change, Mr Patil said.

UNI