NEW DELHI: The home minister, S.B.Chavan, told the Rajya Sabha his ministry had definite information that Pakistan’s InterServices Intelligence (ISI) was pressuring the ULFA leaders, hiding in Bangladesh, not-to-enter into a settlement with the Center, Chavan made this revelation while replying to a question by Ratnakar Pandey (Congress) regarding Pakistan’s and Bangladesh’s role in encouraging militant activities in Assam, Chavan admitted that these two neighboring countries were instigating militant activity in Assam and that the Indian government had taken up this issue with Bangladesh and Pakistan governments. They were told that interference in India’s internal affairs would not be tolerated. However, he ruled out the possibility of taking up the matter with the U.N, stating it should be dealt with at the bilateral level.

Responding to supplementary posed by P.U penda (unattached), Ram Naresh Yadev, V. Narayanswamy (Congress), Rajmohan Gandhi (Janata Dal) and K.L.Sharma (BJP), the home minister was informed this issue was discussed by the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh and the two had agreed on the need to stop these activities.

However, Chavan said this was not reflected at the ground level, stating that initially Bangladesh was reluctant to accept the presence of ULFA activists on its soil but since then India had supplied fresh evidence of Bangladeshi involvement in Assam. The matter, he said, would now be taken up at the diplomatic level, adding, “Let’s see, how they react.”

Chavan said the Army had been deployed in a big way in Assam but Operation Bajrant and Operation Rhino were suspended when negotiations with the ULFA leaders were underway. Unfortunately, Chavan said the army operations had to be resumed this month when talks broke down, stating that “a final settlement was still not in sight,” he added,

According to the home minister at least 75% of ULFA activists had either surrendered or had been captured but admitted that the militant section continued to elude securing forces. He said complete peace in the region will not be possible till this section surrenders and said that negotiations with ULFA were still on. He admitted that there had been reports of some excesses by the forces and these were being looked into by the Army authorities,

As regards the work on the fencing of the border, Chayan said that Rs,356 crores had been provided by the Center for this work and, so far, 596 kms had been fenced with barbed wire. The home minister agreed that progress on border fencing had not been satisfactory for problems had arisen regarding acquisition of land. A. meeting of the chief secretaries of the concerned states had been convened to discuss this issue, he added. .

In response to another query, Chavan denied that the Assam chief minister had not been consulted prior to the launching of the Army Operations in the ‘state, adding that there was no question of calling in the Army without the C.M s knowledge.

TWO Unidentified militants were in an encounter near Chak Mahal village, Police seized their car, one .32 bore revolver and Seven cartridges from the place of encounter,

One unidentified militant was” Killed in an encounter with security forces near village Talwandi Chaudhrian under Sultanpur Lodhi Police station,.

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