ULFA(I) claims Dr Abhijit Asom as its chairman

Guwahati: ULFA (Independent) today claimed that Dr Abhijit Asom was their chairman and not Dr Mukul Hazarika as reported in a section of media.

"It has come to our notice that a confusion has been created in a section of media in Assam about the identity of our chairman," said ULFA(I) publicity wing assistant secretary 'Captain' Arunudoy Asom in an e-mail.

"We make it clear that Dr Abhijit Asom is the chairman of our United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent)," Asom said.

"Along with the people of Assam, we know that Dr Mukul Hazarika works for protection of human rights with an organisation called 'Assam Watch'," he said.

Earlier, reports had stated that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had issued a summon to ULFA (Independent) chairman Dr Abhijit Asom alias Dr Mukul Hazarika at his Kasarigaon Puranigudam residence in central Assam's Nagaon district.

Additional Superintendent, NIA, Guwahati, Subhasish Borooah had served the summon dated September 7 through Samoguri police station to the banned ULFA(I) supremo to present himself at NIA Guwahati office within September 30.

Abhijit was summoned in connection with the illegal and anti-national activities of the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(I).

Dr Abhijit Asom had become the chief of ULFA(I) in 2012 as declared by the insurgent outfit after its founding chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa was expelled following his failure to return to the underground group.

Rajkhowa was arrested in November 2009 and thereafter has engaged himself along with other top ULFA leaders in peace talks with the Centre.

An alumnus of RKB Higher Secondary School, Puranigudam, and Gauhati Medical College, Dr Abhijit is reported to be a practising physician in England.

According to various reports, Asom, close to ULFA(I) 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah, had established a human rights organisation 'Assam Watch' in 1994 through which he highlighted in UN meetings alleged human rights violation by security forces during anti-insurgency operations in Assam. PTI