Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today supported AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi's purported remarks that Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was in power for a term in the state allegedly with the backing of insurgents.
Without referring to the WikiLeaks cables, Gogoi claimed, "AGP had links with insurgent groups. Rahul Gandhi's statement is correct."
"ULFA and AGP were cousin brothers at one point of time. (ULFA C-in-C) Paresh Barua had confirmed the links. AGP had come to power with ULFA's help. Many Congressmen were killed during its rule," Gogoi told reporters here.
According to a WikiLeaks report published in the media last month, Gandhi had told a US diplomat in 2006 that India during his father late Rajiv Gandhi's prime ministership (1984-1989) had given a separatist group a chance to form government in Assam and US should follow the same model with Hamas.
When asked by reporters to give proof of his claim, Gogoi said, "I am not obliged to give you (media) the proof. I have proof and that is why I am saying it. There are records of these links with the Home ministry."
Gogoi was, however, quick to add that AGP does not have any links with the extremist outfit since the past few years.
Congress has rubbished the WikiLeaks reports.
AGP is said to be exploring moving court against Gandhi for his alleged statements.
AGP was in power twice in 1985 and 1996. The first time term was after the six-year-long Assam agitation that its leaders had stewarded as student activists of All Assam Students Union (AASU) and ended with the historic Assam Accord.
