Cabinet and Defence Secretaries arriving, more ULFA arrest

Guwahati, Feb 14 (UNI) The Union Cabinet and Defence Secretaries are arriving here tonight as police were claiming more success in their anti-ULFA campaign, picking up nine more after busting of the hijack case.

Cabinet Secretary Madhukar Gupte and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh would meet Assam Governor Lt Gen Ajay Sinha tonight and then they would review the law and order situation of the state besides monitoring the development projects.

Just before their visit, police today picked up 11 ULFA activists from various parts of lower Assam.

All of them were coming to Guwahati when they were picked up.

Police arrested two near Guwahati High Court area along with some minor explosives.

Another seven were rounded up while crossing the Brahmaputra near Chaygaon, Ghoramari of Kamrup district.

At least ten kg of RDX were recovered.

Official sources said two more were arrested near Golokganj in Dhubri district.

All the incidents came on a day when clamour for the arrest of ULFA overground leader Hiranya Saikia by various quarters grew.

They also demanded the release of ULFA sympathiser Lachit Bardoloi.

The Assam Public Works, an organisation championing the cause of the ULFA victims, said Mr Saikia should be arrested forthwith.

'' When so many people were harassed and arrested for giving just a glass of water, why he should not be arrested, '' said APW Director Abhijeet Sarma.

Mr Saikia said in a press conference recently that he was ''the base of the ULFA'' and the political wing of the organisation operate through him.

Meanwhile, arrested human right activist Lachit Bardoloi continued to be in police custody while in the chargesheet filed by police, no evidence of the plane hijack case was given.

Police claimed that the ULFA hatched a plan to hijack a plane and picked up Pradeep Gogoi, Lachit Bardoloi, and Suman Dutta beside the main accused Manoj Tamuly and his girl friend Dharitri Sarma in this connection.

UNI MT SJC/src1808