GUWAHATI: The outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) has called upon the people of Assam to be in readiness to face any eventually for furthering the cause of their volition.

Paresh Baruah, “commander-in chief” of the ULFA, in a press note dated July 6 and circulated to the press here, alleged that the special advisory committee comprising representatives of Assam and the Central Government was a move of a “preplanned conspiracy” of the Assam Government to perpetrate heinous atrocities on the people of Assam.

Baruah further, alleged that by constituting the special committee the Assam Government had been trying to mount a multipronged attack on the people of Assam.

He called upon the people to thwart the conspiracy and face any eventuality with courage and determination.

He also warned that if the security forces were again deployed in the state, the government alone would be responsible for the consequences.

“We assert that we will not feel the necessity of war only when the government of India lifts all administrative measures imposed our country to our people forever”, he said.

After nine days of captivity, Mr Bholanath Jaswal, Chief Gores physicist of the ONGC, was released by ULFA rebels at Jorhat , according to official reports.

 The militant body has also not come out with any conditions for the release of eleven other hostages.

 The ULFA had earlier demanded the release of six of its colleagues in exchange for Mr. Jaiswal and Soviet engineer Sergei Grikchenko by 6 p.m. Accordingly, the government released six ULFA men before the expiry of the deadline. One of the six men is in hospital at Silchar.

The ULFA however, announced that the Soviet engineer was killed in an encounter while trying to escape. One of the militants was also killed in the encounter. The ULFA is yet to return the body of the engineer.

The Assam Chief Minister, Mr Hiteswar Saikia, said the government was still waiting for a response from the ULFA on its offer of general amnesty.

A stunned Chief Minister told PTI after an emergency cabinet meeting here that “if there is no response from the ULFA, we will again meet to take further decisions.”

Mr Saikia said the government had done its part and now it was for the ULFA to keep its promise and release the remaining 13 hostages.

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