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.
Security forces claimed to have killed a hardcore ULFA man during an encounter in Goalpara district on Monday. The encounter took place at Krishnai bordering Meghalaya in the wee hours when police launched an operation against the ULFA men who have been hiding in the area. Identified as Ruhit Rabha, the ULFA militant died on the spot while four others managed to flee from the spot. Later, police recovered some arms and ammunition from the spot. Operation is on to trace the four other militants.
The stage is set. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri on Tuesday. The AICC general secretary is likely to be accompanied by Digvijay Singh. Taling to assamtimes, APCC officials informed that Gandhi will visit some of the areas of the Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang on Tuesday to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation measuresadopted by the state government for the violence hit people in the three districts.
A beefed up security scenario on Saturday failed to avert a powerful grenade explosion in Guwahati where a CRPF jawan lost his life and at least ten others, mostly CRPF jawans injured in Platanbazar. The deceased CRPF jawans was identified as Bhawani Singh who succumbed to injuries on the way to the GMCH. The injured have been rushed to the GMCH for treatment. They have been identified as Rajnil Gandhi, Bori Tanti, Ashok Khandakar, Babu Das, Dilip Kumar Sarma, Demsa Devi, Saheda Begum, Manoj Kumar, Upar Singh, Rinki Sarma, Umanath Sahani.
Trouble brews for a cabinet minister a few days after the prime accused of a sensation massacre was found dead. Seven local organizations on Saturday asked Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to drop cabinet minister Akon Bora who, they alleged, was involved in the massacre in Jugdal two years back. Talking to reporters these local organizations alleged that the prime accused Arjun Bordoloi was killed by Bora only to destroy the evidence of his involvement in the Jugdal case.
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the trouble hit Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts on Tuesday. According to APCC, Gandhi would be accompanied by Digvijay Singh. Gandhi will visit some of the areas of the Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang on Tuesday to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation measures.
Despite round-the-clock-vigil, miscreants time and again have been targeting Guwahati in the form of bomb explosion. A CRPF jawans was killed and nine others have been injured when suspected ULFA militants exploded a powerful grenade in the city on Saturday. The explosion took place at around 7-45 in the evening with a sound near the Paltanbazar police station where at least people, mostly CRPF jawans injured. One of them succumbed to his injuries on the way to GMCH.
The third special train to Bangalore is likely to leave Guwahati on Sep 20 to facilitate the return of those who had fled Bangalore and some other south Indian cities last month after rumours of attacks on people from the northeast. The state government will pay the cost of train tickets for those who are willing to return. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway, the notification is expected in a day or two.
The Assam government had also directed the Transport Secretary to issue instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to register the details of the people who inquire about the special train Sep 20 through the helpline created by the state government.
The second Bangalore bound special train will leave Guwahati on Saturday. The train is expected to carry over 1000 north east people back to the southern city who arrived in Guwahati fearing attack. Passengers can board the train only from Guwahati, Kamakhya, Rangia, New Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar railway stations. The passengers, who board the Bangalore special Saturday, will also get their tickets reimbursed.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Sivasagar, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts on an all out war against Bangladeshi immigrants on Friday. Over 30 local organizations in Moran, Amguri and Golaghat took out huge processions demanding steps to detect and deport the immigrants. Amid the simmering protest, several suspected Bangladeshi immigrants were held in Sivasagar, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts who were detained by police.
The entire state erupts in an all out drive against Bangladeshi immigrants after the influx awareness drive. Local residents in Sivasagar district have apprehended five suspected immigrants and handed them over to police on Friday. They were held at Namtola near Sonari in the wee hours and later were handed over to police. Local residents have claimed that they had no convincing evidence.Earliar on Thursday evening local residents in Seleng near Moriani in Jorhat district held to immigrants while 5 others managed to escape.
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