DIMAPUR: Naga militants led by S.S. Khaplang have threatened telecom service provider Airtel with dire consequences if it doesn't stop work in Nagaland within a month, police said on Wednesday.
Nagaland's Director General of Police (DGP) L.L. Doungel admitted that the National Socialist Council of Nagaland led by Khaplang had indeed issued the threat.
Doungel told IANS that he reviewed the situation with senior officials on Wednesday.
"There are reports that the NSCN-K has threatened Airtel and served an ultimatum of one month to withdraw all its operations from the state," the officer said.
"Security forces have been put on alert and we are taking all necessary steps to avoid any untoward happening," he said.
The NSCN-K, which has ended its ceasefire with the Indian government, has threatened to attack Airtel employees and demolish its infrastructure in and around the state.
The outlawed group accused the company of trying to create a chasm between it and civil groups and the Naga people.
"Airtel company is directed to withdraw operations from Nagaland and remove all infrastructures and installations within one month," it said in a statement.
An Airtel spokesman in Guwahati said the company had not received any ultimatum from the militant outfit.
The NSCN faction has been attacking security forces in the state after it abrogated the 14-year-old ceasefire with New Delhi.
On June 4, the outfit ambushed an army convoy at Chandel in Manipur and killed 18 soldiers.