Thakur points to Dhaka's role in Assam violence

He said an all-party meeting would have to decide the further course of action on the issue of reservation for "locals" in the central government jobs, as this would need a constitutional amendment.

He said it was not a coincidence that the Bangladesh Parliament had, a few days ago, passed a resolution hailing United Liberation Front of Assom (Ulfa) leader Paresh Barua and other members as "freedom fighters".

That Bangladesh and Ulfa had a relation was clear from the fact that migrant Bangladeshis had occupied, with protection from Ulfa, the property and homes of those Biharis who had been killed or forced to leave Assam.

Thakur said there was no doubt also, that Ulfa was the group engaged in killing Biharis because of all the militant groups in the Northeast, it was only Ulfa that had AK-47s.

"Ulfa seeks favours from the Bangladesh government and it wanted to return these favours by offering to resettle Bangla-deshis in areas vacated by Biharis. This is a foreign plot and it will not be allowed to succeed," he said.

Thakur said the violence against Bihari labourers was not a sudden development. Ulfa had first declared a ban on the screening of Hindi films in Assam.

This was followed by a call asking all Biharis to go back. The railway recruitment issue was just a spark that started a conflagration that had been planned meticulously, he said.

Quoting intelligence agencies, Thakur said the organisation had been under pressure with its cadres leaving its fold and it had planned disturbances along ethnic lines to revive its popularity.

According to police reports, Ulfa cadres did not stop even at killing toddlers and children with the local weapons like the Dao to instil fear in Biharis and reassure Bangladeshis.

Thakur said peace could not return to the region until all political parties agree to bring peace back to Assam. He said the current problem was dealing with trucks""mostly from Bihar""which were refusing to carry commodities and goods to Assam, leading to scarcity and rise in prices. This would have to be stopped immediately and if necessary, trucks would have to be sent under Army escort.

Thakur also said the government was planning the development of Assam in a big way but would announce these measures only after the Assembly polls owing to restrictions on account of the election code of conduct.

He said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani were scheduled to visit the state but only after the security forces felt the situation had eased enough to take security forces off policing duties and put them in charge of a VIP visit.

The minister said the north-eastern business summit, to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister was scheduled for January and would be a landmark event in the development of the Northeast.