Ulfa warns of more violence as Centre sends extra forces

Although the leader of the United Liberation Front of Asam (Ulfa) Paresh Barua denied his organisation's involvement in the violence in Assam yesterday that claimed 29 lives, he warned of more such violence and threatened it would go out of control if Hindi-speaking people did not leave Assam.

The central government despatched more paramilitary forces to Assam As Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke to Rashtriya Janatantrik Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Yadav and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to get an update on the ongoing violence. Yesterday Gogoi had blamed the attacks on Ulfa.

Sporadic incidents of hut burning, arson, attacks on Biharis continued through last night across the state, official sources said here today. One Hindi-speaking person was knifed today taking the toll to 30.

Barua warned "all politicians" that pampering Hindi-speaking communities would cost the government dear and would result in a worse situation.

The sense in the government was that though Assam was tense, it was still under control. Yesterday a mob had attacked not just Bihari labourers but also an oil refinery in Duliajan.

Six hundred Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were sent for deployment in the worst-hit Tinsukia and Dibrugarh areas.

In their conversation with Gogoi, Vajpayee and Advani assured him that request for more forces would be considered by the Centre.

Besides deciding to deploy six companies of the BSF to Tinsukia and Dibrugarh, the spokesman said the ministry would review Assam's demand for additional paramilitary forces after the Assembly elections in five states were over.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also spoke to Gogoi this morning expressing concern over the violence and asked him to deal firmly with the situation.

In Jalpaiguri, Railway minister Nitish Kumar said the violence in Assam against people from Bihar resulted from a "misunderstanding" and asserted that the railways were keen to appoint local people during recruitment.

Calling upon the Assames people to restore peace, Kumar said there was no reason to resort to such violence as the Railway Recruitment Board made provisions for recruitment tests in each of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

However, this cut little ice with the Ulfa. Paresh Baruah termed the violence an "uprising". "It is an expression of frustration of the people of Assam against their exploitation for a long time. We hope the people of the state will be able to teach a befitting lesson to Hindi-speaking people".