The Assam Government reviewed the law and order situation on Wednesday and sounded a high alert across the State, particularly in the run up to the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, on Wednesday told the media that there are threats from anti-social elements like the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa and NDFB militants and some Islamic terror outfits, who are operating in the State.
Gogoi said that all the districts have been alerted ahead of the forthcoming Independence Day and the security forces have been put on alert to thwart any possible attempt of the anti-socials and militant outfits.
Talking about the threat, Assam Director-General of Police (DGP) Khagen Sarma said that there have been movements of anti-socials including the Ulfa and NDFB factions and some Islamic terror networks in the State following which security has been tightened and forces have been put on high alert in all the districts.
He also said that the militants might try to carry out subversive activities by using bicycles this year. “There have been similar instances of using cycles and other vehicles for planting IEDs in busy areas in the past in Assam. We have Intelligence reports that the militants might use bicycles this time, which are not checked many a times,” said the DGP. Additional Director- General of Police (Special Branch) Pallab Bhattacharyya said that the anti-socials might target vital installations like the Assam Assembly and the Assam Secretariat this time. “The militants are desperate this time and they are likely to try hard to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations,” he said adding that the police have inputs that they might try to use Rocket Propelled Guns (RPGs) to carry out the subversive activities.
It may be mentioned here that the anti-talk faction of the militant outfits in the North-East region including the Ulfa, the NDFB, the KlO and the NSCN (K) have recently floated a common platform to fight for their cause — United liberation Front of Western South-East Asia (UNlFW).
The pressure is mounting on the Ulfa faction to carry out subversive activities as other groups like NSCN (K) had already started attacking security forces in Nagaland, Manipur and in Arunachal Pradesh and the Ulfa faction is also desperate to prove its existence.