GUWAHATI, Sept 8 - United Liberation Front of Asom, Independent (ULFA-I) vice chairman-cum-chief of staff Paresh Baruah today ridiculed at the statement made by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at a press conference here yesterday on the issue of holding peace talks with the ULFA(I).
The ULFA(I) leader, in a letter addressed to the spiritual leader today, described the promises made by him as �empty� ones and the peace talks held by the Centre as �false, biased and ridiculous. He suggested that the spiritual leader should better stick to his �pretentious religion� and allow ULFA(I) to continue its �journey to freedom.�
The ULFA(I) leader also reiterated his outfit�s stand that any peace talk being held by the Indian government should have the demand for a sovereign Assam on its agenda.
In the letter, copies of which have been released to the press, Baruah also maintained that a few terms used by the spiritual leader in yesterday�s press meet have �deeply offended� the ULFA(I) ideologies.
The spiritual leader expressed the optimism that he would be able to convince all ultra outfits, including ULFA(I). He claimed that he is already in touch with leaders like Paresh Baruah and that efforts are on to bridge the trust deficit between the stakeholders of the peace process.
Baruah resented the word �rehabilitation� used by Ravi Shankar which goes against the ULFA(I) ideologies and principles. �We do not want to participate in any form of peace talks unless the Government of India is willing to take the independence of Assam into consideration,� he said.
