Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 24:
Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani today asked insurgent outfits in the North East, particularly the ULFA in Assam, to come for talks with the Centre even as he asked the voters to give another term to the NDA.
"As the NSCN-IM accepted the Government's invitation for discussions within the country after initial talks in Thailand, the ULFA could similarly come for parleys amidst tight security provided by the Government," he said at an election rally at Diphu in upper Assam where a large crowd had gathered, to hear him despite a bandh called by insurgents.
Addressing rallies across key Lok Sabha constituencies in the State going to polls in the third phase on Monday, he cited successful instances of such parleys saying Bodo Liberation Tiger after surrendering formed the Bodoland Autonomous Council for self governance.
Even the Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir was initially unwilling to sit for talks with the Centre, but after the meetings they realized there was nothing religious about the BJP, Advani said.
At another rally in Dibrugarh, the DPM said the NDA Govt had decided on a separate Union Ministry for Welfare of Tribals and special Scheduled Caste wards to address their problems which were different from others.
"The extremist groups must eschew violence as the solution to their problems is in the ballot and not bullet...
they must come to the negotiation table," Advani said.
He said "yesterday I received a call from Tripura that .two extremist outfits are eager to talk to me".
Maintaining that Prime Minister AB Vajpayee had paid special attention to the North East, Advani said "creation of a special ministry for the region is a pointer to Vajpayeeji's concern".
Referring to the insurgent problem in the region, he said Dibrugarh Congress candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar was elected from the seat four times "but has he done any justice to your constituency", he asked.
Claiming that Congress had no political leader to run the nation, he said, the political scenario changed in favor of BJP after assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.At Sibsagar, Advani accused the AGP, born out of the Assam movement, of failing to fulfill the hopes of the people.