Thursday, February 2 2006 18:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwhati: The ULFA should give up its confrontonist stand like the Bodo Liberation Tigers, who gave up arms and participated in elections to take up the reins of local administration, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today(Feb 2,2006).

Gogoi told the assembly that The ULFA should take charge of the state through a peaceful democratic process and not through insurgency or by demanding sovereignty and independence.

It was in the hands of the ULFA to bring peace and development to the state by abjuring violence, giving up its confrontationist stand and instead taking part in the democratic process as the BLT did, he said.

With the militant BLT realising violence was not beneficial to the people, he said, they decided to give up arms and participated in the polls to take up the reins of local administration ushering in peace and development in the Bodoland area of Assam.

Hoping that the ULFA nominated People's Consultative Group (PCG) would help in facilitating direct talks between the ULFA and the Centre, he said an early ceasefire was awaited.