Another youth injured in police firing as anti-Ulfa-I ops continue in Assam

Guwahati: One more youth was injured in police firing in Assam on Sunday night as the state police continued their drive against activities of banned insurgent group, Ulfa-Independent.

Police said a suspected cadre of Ulfa-I, identified as Pranjal Das, was injured in Baihata Chariali in central Assam's Kamrup district, about 20km from Guwahati, on Sunday night. The police, however, did not elaborate on what circumstance they had to fire at the youth.

Hours after the incident, Ulfa-I issued a media statement claiming that Das and the four other youths, who were similarly injured in police firing on the wee hours of Sunday in Tinsukia and Sibsagar, have no links with the outfit.

The statement issued by Rumel Asom, a member of the banned outfit's publicity wing, alleged that the youths were injured in a fake encounter by the state police. 

Fresh conflict: 

The fresh conflict started amid a war of words between Assam DGP GP Singh and Ulfa-I -- the only major insurgent group which has remained out of the peace process in Assam.

On Monday, Singh said that the state police tried to initiate talks with the outfit in order to resolve the conflict but the initiative was taken as weakness.

"Our initial plan, after the first grenade blast, was peace and conflict resolution through discussion. However, our peace initiative was taken as a weakness and further violence was committed. We still believe that peace and conflict resolution is the best way ahead but initiation of violence from a banned organisation is unacceptable," Singh posted on X. 

The fresh drive against Ulfa-I was started after the outfit carried out three bomb blasts near army installations since November in Tinsukia, Sibsagar and Jorhat districts in eastern Assam, the region considered to be the outfit's strongholds.

GP Singh further posted, "When the water is still, don’t throw a stone in it. When a stone is thrown in still water, waves are formed. Don’t cry if the waves thus formed hit you. Simple Physics once again - Let still water be still and calm, lest bigger waves hit you back."