GUWAHATI, May 2 � Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly Pranab Gogoi today said that his �definition of Assamese� has been misinterpreted and that the controversy surrounding it is completely unwarranted.
He, however, refrained from giving a direct answer as to whether the Congress party members have shown disrespect to the chair of the Speaker by questioning his integrity.
Gogoi said his definition of Assamese was not meant for the entire Assamese society, it was more about upholding the inherent facet of the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which was signed in presence of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
�I have said it before that it was my personal decision to propose the definition and I did it with the consent of the House. It was a suggestion made by me after consulting the matter with different organisations and it was completely up to the government to take a call on it,� the Speaker told mediapersons at a press conference.
He also drew reference to some of the recent rulings of the Supreme Court and the Gauhati High Court in connection with the threat that illegal infiltration poses to the identity of the indigenous people.
A section of Congressmen including the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, were seen making some sharp remarks against the Speaker vis-�-vis his stand on the definition of Assamese.
On the stand of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the Speaker said, �During my conversation with him, he assured me of taking the matter forward, but later things happened in a different manner.�
The Speaker, replying to a query, said that his decision of not contesting any future polls is final but it will entirely depend on the Congress high command.
