Guwahati: The peace process initiated by Congress government in Assam will be taken ahead and the elusive ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, known for his anti-talk stand, will be pursuaded to come to the negotiating table, the party's manifesto for the April assembly polls said.
Congress, which is seeking to be returned to power for the third consecutive term in the state, will also pursue the other militants, including the anti-talk faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland to come forward for talks, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said releasing the manifesto here.
Claiming that there was law and order in the state, he said insurgency would be contained through development.
He referred to the alleged secret killing of the kin of ULFA leaders at the direction of the then Asom Gana Parishad chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and said it was not the way to contain militancy.
"The term secret killing I feel is wrong and given by the media. It should be termed as inhuman killing in which persons were murdered in a planned way in connivance with the government," he said.
The chief minister also attacked BJP for raking up issues like corruption against Congress just before the election for intiating steps for a CBI probe into the N C Hill Development Council scam.
"We had only initiated steps for CBI probe into the scandal of N C Hill Development Council which took place when it was run by BJP and Autonomous State Development Committee," he added.
The 64-page Congress manifesto said the rule of law would be the primary responsibility of the government and relentless counter-insurgency operation against all insurgent groups would continue.
"The most significant achievement of the Congress government in the last 10 years is to restore peace and normalcy in the state and create a conducive atmosphere for rapic economic development."
The Congress manifesto promised to hasten the developmental process in Assam and said its vision would be a peaceful, stable and developed state by establishing knowledge-based society.
"Means for improving the social and economic condition of the poorer sections and the middle class and to attain sustainable growth rate of 10 per cent will be the aim of the party," it said.
Priority would be given to education, health and agriculture sectors with special thrust on small, cottage and medium industries in rural areas, it said.
The manifesto promised to reserve 30 per cent of jobs for rural youth and to fight the problem of unemployment effectively.
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