Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday dared Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah to come over ground and join politics and assured to urge the Central Government for providing amnesty to the latter.
Gogoi said this in a reply to the Ulfa chief who on Tuesday had accused the political leaders of not having the courage to hold a plebiscite.
Baruah on Tuesday had told a local newspaper in Assam that the political leaders of India should learn about true democracy from countries like Great Britain and Canada. While the Great Britain recently held a plebiscite on the demand for separation of Scotland, Canada had also taken a similar step.
“There is no need to hold plebiscite here. The elections in Assam are held freely and there is huge participation by the people. Ninety-nine per cent people of Assam, barring a few supporters of Baruah, believe Assam to be a part of India. They also believe in the parliamentary democracy system, which is followed in Assam and in all the past elections there has been over 70 per cent polling,” said Gogoi.
“I urge him to come over ground and join politics. He can prove his support by participating in the electoral process. If he accepts my proposal, I would request the Central Government to provide him amnesty. I’m not sure as to whether they (Centre) would agree to this but I’ll request them,” said Gogoi.
Gogoi also refuted the allegations levelled by the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badaruddin Ajmal, who had stated that Gogoi had links with the BJP and the RSS, and said that people of Assam know the facts.
“I have been criticising the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But I have not seen Ajmal criticising Modi or other BJP leaders criticising Ajmal. So it is the other way round,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Assam Chief Minister had reiterated his stand on the reshuffle of the Assam Cabinet and said that he is going to New Delhi on Friday to meet the Congress high command to discuss the issue of reshuffle.
“There will be reshuffle soon. In fact, I am going to New Delhi on Friday to meet the party high command,” Gogoi said.