REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
Guwahati, Dec 25: Hours after four people, suspected of having links with the banned outfit, were injured in police firing, the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on Sunday said the continuous ‘fake encounters’ by the Assam Police injuring the innocent youths have turned into an undeclared contest.
In a press statement, the ULFA-I said, “The innocent youths that were injured in police firing are not associated with our organization. According to the information we received, the youths went to Dambuk in Arunachal Pradesh for a picnic where they revealed about being upset over some wrong decisions taken by the state government and spoke a few things to their families under the influence of alcohol. Their families then informed the police about the matter and instead of trying to convince them, the police opened fire at them.”
According to the banned outfit, the youths were working in the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) on a contract basis, however, the government had compulsorily exempted them from work.
“The way Assam Police is openly firing at innocent youths of their own community claiming to be associated with ULFA-I under the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) has turned into an undeclared contest. It cannot be denied that this undeclared contest has brought down an ominous sign to the state. So, it will not be taken lightly by us as well as the indigenous people of Assam,” the release said.
The banned outfit said that though 80 percent of the Assam Police personnel have nationalist feelings for their state, the remaining 20 percent tend, for the sake of power and money, to indulge in such misdeeds to please the police officer sent from Delhi.
“There is a need for these 80 per cent good officers/members to convince the rest and warn them,” the release reads.
“The ULFA-I is still restrained in view of its previous decision. Don't test us until our patience is broken because if that situation arises, eighty percent of the good people will die rather than twenty percent of the bad people working in the Assam Police,” ULFA-I said.
“On the other hand, the fighters of the organization are not afraid of death. We are committed to the liberation of our state and it will be conquered only by death. Such conflicts do not benefit either side therefore, those giving the appearance of this fake encounter have been warned for the last time to end this unannounced competition and the indigenous people of Assam should come out against it. Otherwise, everyone will be equally responsible for the undesirable situation in Assam,” they added.
