All-party meet sends Bora's case to Ethics Committee

Guwahati, Jun 26 (UNI) An all-party meeting of the Assam Legislative Assembly today referred the matter of stripping jailed state minister Ripun Bora of the House's membership to the Ethics Committee.

The meeting was convened by Speaker T B Rai after the Opposition parties alleged that the Congress was protecting Mr Bora after the latter was arrested in New Delhi on June 13, while trying to bribe a CBI sleuth probing a political murder case in which Bora is a suspect.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had written to the Speaker to convene the all-party meeting to chalk out a code of conduct for all members.

Mr Gogoi was, however, absent from today's meeting, with the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) also staying away.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bharat Narah informed that the Speaker decided to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee after today's deliberations.

The Committee would submit its preliminary report by July 15, he added.

Leader of the Opposition Chandramohan Patowary, who attended the meeting, said it was unanimously decided that the decision on whether Bora should be stripped of his Assembly membership would be taken by the Ethics Committee.

UNI SG DPM AE RK1525