BJP to press for probe into 'nexus'

GUWAHATI, MAY 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today charged the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) with unleashing a violent campaign against its party workers and declared that it would approach the Home Ministry to probe the insurgent outfit's nexus with the Congress.

The connection had become an open secret in Assam, the BJP president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthy, who was on a day's visit to the State to campaign for his party's candidates for the May 10 Assembly poll, told a press conference here.

He alleged that the link was obvious after Ms. Hemoprabha Saikia, senior Congress leader and wife of former Chief Minister, Mr. Hiteswar Saikia, had written a letter to the party high command citing proofs of the connection between top State leaders and the ULFA.

Referring to the killing of the party's Dibrugarh candidate, Jayanta Dutta, Mr. Krishnamurthy alleged that the ULFA was out to terrorise people but the BJP would take it as a challenge.

The ULFA's activities was one of the reasons for the State's backwardness and in democracy there was no place for violence.

``If the Congress was really in support of democracy they should answer some questions of mine: Will the Congress leadership criticise the ULFA openly? Why have they not so far condemned the killing of BJP workers? Was the Congress prepared to join hands with the BJP in condemning the ULFA?''

``Unless the Congress answers these questions one will come to the conclusion that the party was soft towards the ULFA.''

AGP backs BJP charge

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) joined the BJP in alleging that the Congress had a link with the ULFA and was behind the recent attack on its members. ``The Congress had definite links with the ULFA as it has not condemned any killing so far,'' the AGP chief spokesman, Mr. Biren Baishya, told reporters here.

The Congress had hatched a conspiracy to terrorise people in a bid to come to power as in the last Lok Sabha election, he alleged.

He, however, exuded confidence that the AGP-BJP alliance would come to power and the people would give a fitting reply to ULFA's violence.

- PTI

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Section  : Other States
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