GUWAHATI, MARCH 31: While the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)'s gun-run claims new victims each day, and commoners huddle together in terror, their rulers have begun what they are best at: mud-slinging.The ruling Asom Gana Parishad and the Opposition Congress have begun pointing fingers at each other for the rise of militancy in the State, as also for maintaining close relations with rebels for targetting workers and supporters of either party.Two days ago, the AGP said that the ULFA rebels were killing its supporters at the behest of the Congress, adding that this was being done in view of the forthcoming panchayat elections in the State.Countering this allegation, Congress spokesman Ripun Bora said the AGP charges were baseless, amounting to and ``madness'', and that it was the AGP which had got the ULFA to eliminate ``not less than one thousand'' party supporters and workers since 1985.The ULFA militants have, over the past week, gunned down close relatives of two senior ministers of the Mahanta Cabinet, while a brother of State Health Minister Kamala Kalita had to be shifted to Delhi following a severe gun-shot injury.Interestingly, while the police suspect the ULFA's hand in all the incidents, local newspapers, quoting ULFA leaders (who, according to reports, called them up over the telephone) said the outfit was not involved in any of the incidents.But what is a fact is that the attacks have followed the expiry of a 15-day deadline issued by ULFA armed wing chief Paresh Barua to the State Government to stop killing of its members by the security forces.Meanwhile, the Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva-Chatra Parishad has urged the Government and ULFA to announce a three-month ceasefire beginning April 15, the Assamese New Year day.
