Our correspondent from Guwahati: In a bid to unite all regional forces to recoup power at Dispur from Congress, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has determined to constitute a working group for unification. And they are all set to get a new president to clear the decks for the much-hyped reunification.This was decided by the party in its central executive committee meeting held at Mangaldoi on Sunday.Most of the members of the committee have come down heavily on party president Brindaban Goswami for his failure to coalesce the party with AGP (Progressive) led by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. The party top guns came down heavily on Goswami for his lack of efficiency and asked him to step down immediately. Mr Goswami and his loyalists further came in for sharp attack for the “alleged attempt to prevent the founder president and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta from entering into the party. Even Mr Goswami’s close associates including Sarbananda Sonowal, Padma Hazarika and Kumar Deepak Das alleged that there has been attempt to stonewall Mr Mahanta and his associates Some leaders even threatened to quit the party if Mr Goswami fails to quit the presidentship saying the sitting president is, in fact, damaging the prospect of the state’s biggest regional forces. They are of the view that due to expulsion of Mahanta before the assembly poll, the AGP has suffered a crisis due to the expulsion.The general view in the executive committee is that the party can be strengthened if Mahanta comes back to the party and takes the leadership. It was felt that Mahanta was chief minister of the state for two times and AGP can not be revived without Mahanta. Mahanta is now leading AGP (P) after his expulsion from the party having one seat in the state assembly.The members called for a general house meeting of the party for threadbare discussion on the issue of unification on July 22. The executive committee will also sit on July 21 to discuss the next course of action.In the midst of the din that rocked the executive meeting, Mr Goswami offered to quit when the party wants but supported the move to forge pact with non Congress parties to oust the Tarun Gogoi Government from the power.Meanwhile when contacted Mahanta refused to comment on the issue and said he is not interested in the internal matter of any political party. However he said all like minded regional parties should come under one umbrella for the best interests of the state and its people. Discussions are on with many regional parties for this unification, he said.
Director general Police, Jayanto Narayan Choudhury wants to move out. But only after the panchayat election in January next. The former additional director of the Centre's Intelligence Bureau may return to the central government services. Choudhury is waiting for the state government to release him but sources said that chief minister Tarun Gogoi needs some time to find a new DGP before he approves Choudhury's release.
On the occasion of first death anniversary of Dr Bhupen Hazarika, a "Sradhanjali" progrm is being organized at Assam Bhawan, Vashi, New Mumbai on Saturday November 3 (6 to 9 PM). The program will have Naam Prasanga, Bargeet, Bhupendra Sangeet by Guest artists. All are invited. the event is being organised by The Assam Association, Mumbai and Shreemoyee Asomiya Mahila Samiti.
A minor boy was killed and five others have been injured when a power grenade exploded a crowded market in Udalguri on Monday. The incident took place when two motorcycle born militants lobbed a grenade as they drove through a busy market, killing the minor boy and wounding five other people. Top ranked police and civil officials rushed to the spot. No outfit has so far claim the responsibility for the attack.
An Airtel employee was injured when armed miscreants attacked him in Nagaon town on Monday. The shoot out took place near the the Nagaon headquarters police station when Amrit Das was preparing to the leave for his home. Suddenly gunmen who were hiding downstairs started pumping bullets at him leaving him seriously injured. Policemen rushed to the spot. But by then, the motorcycle born gunmen managed to escape.
There is report of simmering tension in Dhubri town when police sprang upon a group of protestors at a police station on Monday. Around 500 women of the IG Road area of Dhubri staged a peaceful dharna before the Dhubri police station this morning to protest against the detention of five youths late last night who had been picked up on the suspicion of being involved in the violence. Curfew was reimposed on Monday following the clash.
The government failure to check flood an erosion have reached the Supreme Court when the apex court on Monday asked Delhi and Dispur to respond to a plea that the failure of effective flood management in the state.Admitting a PIL filed by BJP leader Pradyut Bora, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir issued notice to the Arunachal Pradesh government as the petitioner claimed that being a upper riparian state, the neighbouring state has not done enough to combat flood.
The All Assam Students' Union on Monday demanded steps to complete the work on updating the National Register of Citizens before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, AASU Adviser Sammujjal Bhattacharjya said that the facts and figures in the recent white paper are nothing but a bunch of white lies. He said that a lot of facts and figures on illegal immigrants are not finding place. He said that various judgements of Supreme Court and High Court on the issue had also not been mentioned in the Paper.
he famed Manas National Park is all set to open for tourists from November 4. According to the park authorities, repairing works are on inside the park. The park remains closed for almost six months during the rainy season every year and reopens with the onset of winter.
Ranee Narah took over as Minister of State for Tribal Affairs on Monday a day after the Lakhimpur MP took oath. She has been a prominent face of the young brigade of Congress in the state. According to official statement, she was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and re-elected to the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999 and 15th Lok Sabha in 2009. Narah was the Member of Consultative Committee in the Ministries of Communications, Petroleum and Natural Gas. She was also member of various important committees like committees on Urban and Rural Development, Defence, Transport, Tourism and Culture. She was also the captain of Assam women's cricket team.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi and his Manipur counterpart, Okram Ibobi Singh, are dead opposed to any move by the Centre to agree to NSCN (IM)'s demand for territorial integration of Naga- inhabited areas of Assam and Manipur with Nagaland.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, Gogoi said that NSCN (IM) wants to carve out a greater Nagaland by including all Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunchal Pradesh to the present state of Nagaland. According to him, the Centre should have held consultation with Dispur before reaching such a pact.
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