Guwahati, 21th December: The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-Independent) has criticized Assam Police for allegedly detaining innocent youths randomly in connection with the recent grenade blasts carried out by the outfit in the state. ULFA-I claims that those detained have no involvement with the outfit or its recent military operations.
In a public letter, ULFA-I expressed their condemnation of Assam Police’s actions, asserting that the detained youths have no connection to the outfit’s recent activities. The group accused the police of attempting to gain complacency by arresting innocent individuals, describing such acts as an effort to cover up the police’s guilt and failures.
Two grenade blasts occurred in Assam recently, with the first on November 22 in Tinsukia district and the second on December 9 near the Jaisagar CRPF camp in Sivsagar district. Although the police initially suspected ULFA-I’s involvement in the first blast, the group claimed responsibility only after the second incident. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries in the December 9 attack.
These incidents have reignited concerns reminiscent of Assam’s insurgency in the 1990s. Despite claims by the Union home ministry that the insurgency in Assam is under control, leading to the removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in some areas, districts affected by recent attacks remain under the Act.