GUWAHATI, March 12 � The entire Opposition today staged a walk out alleging vindictive attitude of the State Government towards its critics, after an uproar over the issue of an ignominious �secret� police report that linked Jonai legislator Bhuban Pegu (Independent) with ULFA, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and the Maoists.
However, presenting the Government�s view on the issue, Minister Rokybul Hussain said that the Government was not vindictive towards any of its critics. �We checked the report against Pegu, but did not accept it, hence no action was initiated,� he said.
The Minister also claimed that Bhuban Pegu was still an associate member of the Congress in the Legislative Assembly and the Government had an agreement with his organisation. This resulted in the ad-hoc body of the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC).
Pegu will be provided with more security personnel, and if the House desires, further enquiry would be instituted into the matter, said the Minister. He also regretted that the MLA had approached the media without taking it up with the Government or raising it in the House.
The Minister�s statement came after the Opposition members and Pegu walked out of the House.
Earlier, raising the matter after the Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary referred to newspaper reports that appeared today and described the matter as serious. If Pegu is really linked with all such militant organisations, he should have been put behind bars, though he has been allowed to move freely.
He described the charges against Pegu as an insult to all the members of the House and demanded action against the officials involved in such conspiracies to malign the image of a legislator.
If speaking against the Government is treated as a crime, then it is a serious matter, he said, claiming that more such conspiracies were there. �We will expose them,� he said forcefully.
Pegu also argued that he should have been arrested if the charges were genuine, or else the police officers involved in preparing such false reports should be placed under suspension and arrested for the offence they have committed, he justified.
He also read out portions of the report sent by the Dhemaji SP to the Deputy Commissioner and higher authorities in this connection and submitted the relevant documents to the Speaker.
Chandra Mohan Patowary suggested that other members of the House should also be allowed to speak briefly on the matter. Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also agreed to the suggestion of Patowary, saying that the SB and IB reports very often create confusion.
Karnedndu Basumatary (BPF) opined that a tribal legislator had been victimised, which his party was not ready to take lying down.
At this point Congress Associate member Dulal Ghosh said that it should not be treated as a tribal or non-tribal case. It relates to all the legislators.
Ananta Deka (CPI-M), Ataur Rahman Majarbhuyan (AUDF), Drupad Bargohain (CPI), Mission Ranjan Das (BJP) and Pranab Kalita (Independent) spoke on the issue and condemned the attitude of the police and the Government towards the legislator.
Some Congress members were also seen expressing their opposition to such police reports.
It needs mention here that Bhuban Pegu said yesterday at a press conference that he was feeling insecure as the SP of Dhemaji had sent several adverse reports against him. Based on those reports he may be gunned down by the security forces at any moment as a dreaded militant, he said.
