GUWAHATI, April 24 � Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today demanded resignation of Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged involvement with the chit fund company Saradha, which has duped the people of the State of thousands of crores of rupees.
Addressing a press conference here, KMSS president Akhil Gogoi said that following yesterday�s revelation made by Dibon Deka, publisher of the Saradha Group�s Bangla daily Sakalbela, that the Minister had patronized the chit fund company and the company making a donation of Rs 10 lakh to Pride East Entertainment Pvt Ltd on September 7, 2011, the Minister has lost all moral rights to be in office.
The Pride East Entertainment Pvt Ltd is the company owned by the Minister. The TV channel News Live it owns requested the chit fund company to donate the above amount to organise an all Assam drawing and painting competition in memory of the victims of October 30, 2008 blasts, Gogoi said and supplied the mediapersons with the relevant documents in this connection.
Besides, the KMSS president also read out the relevant portion of a news item published in today�s edition of The Indian Express which stated that the Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen had written to the CBI that he was blackmailed by two Trinamool Congress MPs of West Bengal and a Minister of Assam. The Assam Minister was none other than Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was bent upon legalizing the illegal activities of the chit fund companies in the State, claimed the KMSS president.
He also demanded resignation of Publication Board, Assam Secretary Sadananda Gogoi for his alleged involvement in the illegal business of the chit fund company.
The KMSS has demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter and urgent steps to stop financial activities of all the chit fund companies in the State, he said.
Further, the KMSS president said, his organisation is preparing a memorandum to be addressed to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on the issue demanding steps against all those involved in the illegal business operations of the chit fund companies. Former DGP Sankar Barua, who has also been named by Dibon Deka, too should not be spared.
Or else, the KMSS president warned, his organisation will go for a vigorous agitation on the issue.
