AGP requests Kalam to freeze Army action in Assam

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) peititoned President A P J Kalam here today requesting him as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to direct Prime Minister Manmohan (PM) Singh to call off Army operations in Assam and initiate political dialogue to solve the ULFA problem.

Former Union minister and AGP general secretary Birendra Prasad Baishya, who led a five-member AGP group to Kalam, told reporters that members requested the President to direct the Prime Minister to withdraw Army operations in Assam. “Recently, one person died in police custody and eight others killed in police firing in Assam; the Tarun Gogoi Government was solely responsible for it,” he added.

Another general secretary Dilip Kumar Saikia demanded registration of case against Gogoi for the deaths.

Baishya added, “The ULFA problem cannot be solved through Army operations; solution is possible only through political dialogue.”