Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday reacted to the reports of the death of Commander-in-Chief of United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), Paresh Baruah.
Reacting to the news, Gogoi said though he does not believe in a ‘sovereign Assam’, he wants Paresh Baruah to remain alive.
On his Twitter handle on Wednesday, former Assam CM Gogoi stated in Assamese language: “Paresh Baruah bachi thaakibo laage, kintu swadhin Asamar kothaato aami xamarthan nakaro” (Paresh Baruah should remain alive, but we don’t support sovereign Assam).
Through his Twitter handle, Gogoi also alleged that secret killings have taken place again in Assam. He claimed that the incidents of Rebati Phukan’s missing, Lafikul Islam’s murder and the killing of Dhola in Tinsukia district are indication of secret killings in the State.
He tweeted: “Rajyat gupta hatya salise, Rebati Phukanar niruddesh, Lafikul Islam hotyakanda, Dhola kaandai taarei ingit dise.”
On the other hand, Gogoi stated that it is the inability on the part of intelligence agencies to confirm the report of Paresh Baruah’s death in a road accident.
However, ULFA-I has refuted the claims of a section of media that the self-styled ULFA-I C-in-C Paresh Baruah has succumbed to his injuries in a road accident.
In a press statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the ULFA-I clearly stated that Baruah is ‘safe and sound’ and that he has not met with any accident.
The release signed by the outfit’s publicity department member, Romel Asom further stated that it was a ‘hoax spread out by with people with vested interest.’
Northeast Now had earlier quoting a report of lookeast.in, an online news magazine had reported that the self-styled C-in-C of ULFA-I had died succumbing to injuries that he had sustained a week back along China-Myanmar border.
The report in the online magazine lookeast.in had stated that Intelligence agencies have picked up ‘inputs’ about Paresh Baruah succumbing to grievous injuries in a road accident along China-Myanmar border.
Also read: ULFA-I refutes claim of Paresh Baruah’s death, Assam Police say no inputs
The lookeast.in report, however, claimed that Intelligence officials were tight-lipped over the whole matter, claimed that reliable sources had ‘picked up’ information about Paresh Baruah’s accident about a week ago through SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) sources which were corroborated by HUMINT (human intelligence) sources.
Also read: Paresh Baruah dead, claims report
The lookeast.in report further quoted a senior intelligence official who refused to be named as saying that the accident is ‘confirmed’, but the intelligence agencies are cross checking on inputs that Paresh Baruah has succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile, pro-talk ULFA leader Anup Chetia has also refuted the claims asserting that Paresh Baruah had an accident around three months back where he had fractured two rib-bones and the thumb finger of his right leg.
Chetia claimed that the ULFA-I C-in-C had informed the former about the accident over phone and that he was recovering.
Chetia also said that Paresh Baruah had called him up even after the Dhola massacre just couple of days back and that he was fit and hearty.
Director General of Police of Assam, Kula Saikia had also claimed that the Assam Police has no information regarding the incident.