Opposition cornered in Assam Assembly

Guwahati, Nov 11 (UNI) For the first time in years, the ruling Congress is starting the Assam Assembly on a front foot.

Armed with the recently submitted report of the secret state sponsored killings during the previous AGP regime, the Congress is all set to corner mainly AGP.

''I will lay the report on the very first day so that people of Assam come to know how horrific and chilling the state sponsored killing was carried out during the AGP regime'' said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

AGP Chief Brindabon Goswami said he would wait for the report to be tabled. The AGP chief is little comfortably placed as his bete noire and former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is the main accused in the case.

That group has already split from the mother party and formed a new party called Assam Gana Parishad (AGP)-- Pragatisheel with Mr Mahanta is the lone member of the Assembly.

The opposition is trying to nail the ruling coalition with the digital energy meter issue as well as price rise. The AGP has been alleging that digital energy meters are bad and the people of Assam are forced to pay high rates.

Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta yesterday alleged that the outlawed ULFA was drawing the strings in the Congress-led state government and demanded the arrest of the chief minister and his colleagues under anti-terrorism laws.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Mahanta said the present state government was being run by Congress, Hagrama Mohilary (chief of coalition partner BPPF) and 'proscribed ULFA'.

Slamming the state government for 'buying peace' with the ULFA before the National Games and the recent cricket match here, he said, ''On both occasions the government had appealed to the ULFA not to disrupt the events and the ULFA had reacted positively both times.'' UNI