Suspected anti-talk faction of ULFA targets Congress leader

Three armed ULFA insurgents came in two motorcycles and stormed into the house of Tengapani panchayat president Bhola Shah at Gorbasti Bazar at around 7.30 pm, police said today.

Shah's son Jyoti Prakash Shah had a scuffle with the ultras when they tried to kidnap him as his father was away, the police said.Claiming to be ULFA militants, the attackers shot from their weapons but none was injured, the police said.

The militants then fled away in one of their motorcycles leaving behind the other vehicle.
A massive search operation along with the Army was launched to track the attackers, the police said.

In the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections in the state, the Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA on Friday last had threatened to target the Congress by launching an `armed struggle' and warned the people against attending meetings organised by the party leaders, ministers and legislators.

The ULFA accused the Congress of being responsible for dividing the outfit by luring away some of its leaders into sitting for peace talks with the government.

Paresh Baruah has termed the peace talks as “unconstitutional” as ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and seven other top leaders were surrounded by “Indian forces” suggesting the talks were being held under pressure from the government.

This was discounted by the pro-talk ULFA leadership with Rajkhowa asserting that the decision to hold the discussions with the government was sanctioned and approved by the ULFA general council