‘Black sheep’ worry Cong- Party holds probe into tainted leaders
A STAFF REPORTER
AGP(P) supporters burn an effigy of Ripun Bora in Tezpur on Wednesday. File
picture
Guwahati, June 9: Fearing there could be more than one “black sheep” in the
Tarun Gogoi cabinet who could cause embarrass-ment to the party in the run-up
to the Lok Sabha elections, a worried Congress high command is making its own
inquiries about tainted Assam ministers and legislators.
The Congress fears the Opposition’s campaign against the party in the wake of
former education minister Ripun Bora’s arrest would gain momentum if more
skeletons were to tumble out at this juncture.
Bora was allegedly caught red-handed while bribing a CBI official to influence
the investigation into the murder of an Adivasi leader Daniel Topno.
“We cannot afford another case at this stage. These cases become a major weapon
in the hands of the Opposition, which will not leave any stone unturned to run
down the party during the campaign for the parliamentary elections not only in
the state but elsewhere in the country,” a party insider said.
The report of the internal inquiry will be ready before Sonia Gandhi’s June 13
visit to the state.
Sources said the high command-instituted inquiry will make an “impartial and
practical assessment” of elected party representatives’ personal integrity and
their shenanigans before initiating appropriate action, to send the message
across that acts of omission and commission would not be tolerated.
The report is expected to reach 10 Janpath in a day or two so that AICC leader
in-charge of Assam, Veerappa Moily, and party president Sonia Gandhi can take a
look at it before they visit Guwahati for a kisan rally.
“Since the Opposition is alleging that there are more ministers in the Gogoi
cabinet with similar records, the high command is running an independent check
on others as well as these developments are not good for the image of the
party,” the party insider said.
The chief minister is said to be under tremendous pressure following Bora’s
arrest, as it has given his detractors a chance to take potshots at him and
those close to him.
Bora’s arrest has “robbed” Gogoi of sleep and has the “potential” to nullify
all the good work done by the government, government spokesperson Himanta Biswa
Sarma said yesterday.
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