GUWAHATI, Nov 25 � Police and security forces all over Assam have been put on high alert following inputs of possibility of militant outfits indulging in acts of violence in the run-up to the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the State on November 29 and 30.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that the police and security agencies recently received some inputs about plans of the militant groups to indulge in acts of violence to make their presence felt in the run-up to the Prime Minister�s visit and all-out efforts have been made to thwart any such attempt.
Sources asserted that the militants would not be able to target the venues where the Prime Minister would address meetings. But they would try their best to trigger off grenade or improvised explosive device (IED) blasts in different parts of the State. The militants are desperate to make their presence felt and they know fully well that any act of violence before the Prime Minister�s visit would give them the media coverage they want, sources added.
Security sources said the main threat now is from the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) and the outfit may use hired criminals or sympathizers to lob grenades. Sources said there have been inputs about the desperation of the outfit to make its presence felt and after a long time, a few members of the outfit managed to sneak into upper Assam districts. Similarly, a small group headed by dreaded militant Drishti Rajkhowa is also capable of planning some action in lower Assam and Guwahati city. It is unlikely that the ULFA(I) would be able to send its own members to Guwahati or other cities to lob grenades or to plant IEDs. But the outfit had used hired criminals or couriers to do such jobs in the past and such a possibility cannot be ruled out, sources added.
Sources said the main desperation of the ULFA(I) is shortage of money as not many people are now willing to pay the demanded amount. There is a feeling among the leaders of the outfit that if they get publicity by showing its strength, the flow of funds would improve again and the security agencies also received such inputs in recent times, sources said.
On the other hand, the possibility of the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) making such efforts cannot be ruled out. The members of the outfit are on the run because of sustained operations by police and security forces and the outfit is also desperate to make its presence felt.
However, sources said that they are not apprehending any trouble from the jihadi groups including the Jamaat-ul-Mujaheedin, Bangladesh (JMB), though it is a fact that some members of the outfit may still be active in the State.
