Assam CM Says Govt Prepared for Talks with ULFA
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has said that the government is prepared for talks with the ULFA sans the sovereignty issue, reported PTI.
Talking to media persons following a meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi, Gogoi was quoted as saying: “The government is ready for talks with the ULFA but there will be no discussion on the sovereignty issue. Also there is no plan to suspend operations against the group now.”
About talks with ULFA leaders, the chief minister said that the government would attempt to bring everybody to the negotiating table, said report.
“We will even try to bring (military chief) Paresh Barua. But if he does not come, we will go ahead,” he was quoted as saying.
Gogoi said that the indication from the ULFA was positive and the government hopeful of starting a dialogue process shortly, but he didn’t specify any timeframe for the talks, report said.
Report said that he discussed with Chidambaram the modalities of the talks and also briefed him about the state’s preparedness for the discussion.
Responding to a query whether he had requested for an interlocutor specifically for the ULFA issue, Gogoi said that P C Haldar has been named to deal with all insurgent groups in Assam, report said.
