Mangaldoi, March 16: Barely two days after Ulfa reiterated that the release of their two jailed leaders would give a new impetus to its “freedom” struggle, unidentified persons hoisted the outfit’s flag on the premises of Mangaldoi College in Darrang district in the wee hours today.

Today was Ulfa’s “sainik divas” or “army day” which the outfit observes every year to mark the raising of its armed wing. This is the first time after a long gap that an Ulfa flag has been hoisted in a public place.

Police said that the flag was hoisted in the wee hours and brought down around 8.30am. A case has been registered in this connection.

Two chowkidars, who were on duty at the college last night, have been picked up for interrogation.

A police official at Mangaldoi police station said that some people spotted the Ulfa flag, hoisted on the swahid bedi (martyrs’ column), early this morning.

“We got the information around 8.30am and immediately rushed to the place and dismantled the flag,” he said.

Mangaldoi College is located in the Upohapara area on National Highway 52, about 1.5km from here. Higher Secondary and degree examinations are under way at the college.

Bichitra Medhi, the principal of the college, said a teacher informed him early this morning about the incident.

“I immediately informed the police,” he said.

The hoisting of Ulfa’s flag on the outfit’s “sainik divas” comes at a time when the proposed peace process has reached a “deadlock” with no response from the outfit’s leadership, most of whom are in the jail.

Ulfa had claimed on Saturday that the release of the outfit’s vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi and publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary from jail recently would give a new impetus to their struggle.

“Our cadres are happy over the development which has given us new energy to continue our struggle,” a release issued by Anu Buragohain, member of the central publicity wing of the outfit, had said.

A senior police official said that the hoisting of the outfit’s flag was nothing but a move to show that Ulfa still has a support base in the state.

While ruling out talks without the sovereignty issue, the Ulfa commander-in-chief, Paresh Barua had urged New Delhi for a plebiscite so that it could be seen whether or not the people of Assam wanted “independence”.

Barua had said in a recent statement that “talks, if any, have to be on the issue of Assam’s independence or sovereignty. If the government cannot hold talks on the issue of sovereignty or independence, let there be a plebiscite on the issue.”