Gogoi renewed his appeal to the ULFA to agree to talks for the sake of lasting peace and economic growth of Assam.
After undergoing a routine medical check up at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, Rajkhowa told media person, "The overall situation is now conducive for talks and we appeal to both India and Bangladesh to facilitate the participation of Chetia in the talks by releasing him from captivity."
"Hafizur Rahman (the prime accused) has told the magistrate that he had met Tarique Rahman at Hawa Bhaban along with Ulfa leader Paresh Barua on April 1, 2004," the state-run BSS news agency quoted a senior police official as saying on Sunday night
The ULFA chairman also criticised the government of Assam and the government in New Delhi for overlooking Nagaland's bid to encroach upon Assam territory.
A direct contest between nominees of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-headed Grand Alliance is on the cards in 20 constituencies
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said there are positive signals from the United Liberation Front of Asom leadership for peace talks except its elusive 'military chief' Paresh Barua.
The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), a militant outfit currently in a state of truce with the government, is providing help and shelter to cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Naga villages.According to police sources, the ULFA cadres have found safe haven in Mon district of Nagaland with the help of NSCN-K militants.The ULFA militants often cross the border and flee to Nagaland after carrying out operations within Assam.
Following the arrest of the United Liberation Front of Asom chief Arabinda Rajkhowa and nine others on Friday, two senior ULFA cadres who were trained in Myanmar surrendered to the Indian Army on Saturday at Thakurbari in Tezpur in north Assam.
Apprehending trouble in its bases outside the country in the post-Mumbai scenario that has stepped up the crackdown against terrorism in South Asia, the banned United Liberation Front of Asom is trying to step up activities in Assam through smaller tribal militant groups promoted by it.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday claimed that top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom who are either in captivity or out on bail were willing to hold talks with the government and had sent "feelers" to him in this regard.
Even as the Indian Army wants the imposition of tougher laws in support of the counter-insurgency operations against the banned United Liberation Front of Asom, the insurgent group has termed the move, 'a reflection of the failure of the Army' in demoralising and neutralising ULFA members despite its prolonged operations in Assam.
The injured FCI employees were identified as Purna Sharma and Ratneswar Rabha who were immediately rushed to Guwahati Medical College Hospital. It is the biggest FCI warehouse in the region with a capacity of 23000 MT.
The banned militant group on Saturday reacted very sharply to Asom Sahitya Sabha president Kanaksen Deka's criticism of its demand for sovereignty.
In the backdrop of stepped up violence in Assam by United Liberation Front of Asom militants, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday met President A P J Abdul Kalam.
The arrests were made on the basis of confessions made by arrested ULFA cadre Manoj Tamuly, who was allegedly trained by an Inter Services Intelligence operative.
In a swift joint operation, personnel from the Army and Meghalaya police nabbed six militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the state on Wednesday afternoon.
ULFA marks November 28 as protest day.
A bomb exploded injuring three persons in the Birubari area of Guwahati on Thursday. Official sources said the Improvised Explosive Devise kept in a Gauhati Municipal Corporation dustbin went off at around 1530 hrs.
They appear to have divergent views on the outfit's demand for 'sovereignty', with some of them softening their stand on the 27-year-old 'core demand'.
Bangladesh Inspector General of Police Abdul Qayum, however, said the information 'seems incorrect'.
Dr Singh said every effort was being made to resolve the Kashmir issue.
"We have plugged all routes, making it difficult for the ULFA to bring in weapons and cadres from their bases in neighbouring countries," said Lt Gen B S Jaswal. ULFA militants were facing a shortage of food and medicines in their jungle camps.
The influential All Assam Students Union on Wednesday said that the peace initiative launched by the pro-talks leaders of the ULFA'a 28 th battalion raised hopes for a solution, provided the top brass of the United Liberation Front of Asom and the Indian government respond to it by holding a direct and unconditional political dialogue to solve the insurgency issue.
Police sources said that over 3000 people gathered at the community hall in Kakopathar to hear the pro-talks ULFA leaders Mrinal Hazarika, Jiten Dutta and Joon Sonowal who have been on a mission to mobilise public opinion in favour of unconditional peace talks between the ULFA leadership and the Indian government to restore peace in Assam.
The banned militant group, which had earlied imposed a ban on screening of Hindi movies triggering closure of over 70 cinema halls in the state, has now gunned for popular mobile theatre groups in the state.
The Indian Army on Thursday claimed to have busted a camp of the 28th battalion of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom at Lalpahar in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The PCG has protested against the Kakopathar police firing that left nine dead.
Their decision has apparently foiled the 'design' of the banned ULFA hatched in coordination with its sympathiser groups in civil society to build up a human rights violation case against the government.
Initially the Army had claimed that four of its men received minor injury immediately after Wednesday evening's blast under two of its vehicles at Chonhkham in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, People's Committee for Peace in Assam on Friday condemned the police action to arrest the fasting wives of 'missing' ULFA leaders.
Police on Tuesday recovered 30 grenades along with equal number of explosives laden in an auto rickshaw that was coming from Daranga Mela on the India-Bhutan border in Baksa district of Assam to Ghograpar in Nalbari district where some ULFA militants were awaiting the consignment. Police, which intercepted the auto rickshaw midway near Bhutan bus stop at Rangiya in Kamrup district, arrested two suspected ULFA militants.
The militant outfit had withdrawn its call asking the people to boycott the 33rd Indian National Games.
A security source informed that a four-member team of ULFA militants were on their way to Tengapani forest in Arunachal Pradesh when they came face to face with an army team.
Security has been heightened in Assam ahead of the ULFA's Raising Day on March 16. On Thursday, a hardcore ULFA militant, who was wanted in connection with bomb blasts, murder of Hindi-speaking people and extortion, was killed in an encounter with the army.
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