AGP chief alleges CM protecting tainted ministers

Guwahati, June 7 (UNI) Counter-accusations flew thick and fast in Assam politics in the aftermath of arrest of Education Minister Ripun Bora with AGP chief Brindabon Goswami today alleging that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was protecting several tainted ministers.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Goswami said ''There are many tainted ministers in the Gogoi cabinet and they are exuding great power under the protection of the Chief Minister.'' He dared Mr Gogoi to present a clean chit to his accused ministers and demanded that he should resign as the Chief Minister owning moral responsibility for the Bora debacle.

Mr Bora was arrested in New Delhi on June 3 while offering bribe of Rs 10 lakh to a CBI sleuth investigating a political murder in 2000, in which the Minister is a suspect.

The AGP chief, presenting details of the acquittal of his party leaders from criminal cases that were highlighted by Congress ministers yesterday, accused the Congress of indulging in mudslinging politics to deviate from the main issue of arrest of Mr Bora.

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