AFSPA needed to maintain peace in Assam, says state DGP, warns ULFA(I) militants are still active in 'some pockets'

Guwahati: Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay said the banned militant group of ULFA(I) still had the strength to carry out terror attacks in some pockets of the state, and that security forces still needed the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for operations. [caption id=“attachment_3904781” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “The Union home ministry has said that militancy in Assam has gone down significantly, by about 70 percent. But some groups are still active in some pockets,” he said at a press conference. ULFA(I) is active in some areas of upper Assam, i.e., along the inter-state border with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, he said. “Due to its proximity with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and easy access to the Myanmar border, ULFA(I) is still in a position to create problems in some pockets. We are coordinating with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland in our counter-insurgency operations,” Sahay said. Regarding the AFSPA, the top cop said Assam still required it during its operation against banned groups. “At this time, we need AFSPA. About withdrawal of the act from Assam, the government will take the right decision at the right time,” he added. On the withdrawal of AFSPA from neighbouring Meghalaya despite an active presence of a number of insurgent groups in that state, Sahay did not give a direct answer. “These are strategic decisions. Facts may say that militancy has come down, but interpretation may vary,” he said, without elaborating.