CM slams AGP MPs for silence during trust vote debate

Guwahati, Jul 24 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today took a dig at the two AGP MPs for failing to participate in the debate during Tuesday's confidence motion.

''The Asom Gana Parishad is shouting anti-Congress slogans all the time. Their MPs should have taken the chance of addressing Parliament and explaining to the people why they were opposed to the nuclear deal,'' Mr Gogoi told reporters here.

Assam's main opposition party has two members in the lower House, Arun Sharma and Sarbananda Sonowal, with the party being a key member of the third front, UNPA, right from the latter's inception.

Mr Gogoi also criticised the AGP and UNPA for siding with Mayawati's Bahujan Samajwadi Party, adding that he did not approve of the 'Mayawati brand of casteist politics'.

''Of course, the Congress as a party can have a different opinion of Mayawati,'' he added on a safer note.

Congratulating the prime minister for the trust vote victory, Mr Gogoi said, ''It has exposed rpt exposed the hollowness of the BJP and Left parties.'' He added that he had supported the nuclear deal from the beginning as it is essential for the country. The Assam chief minister also dismissed charges of horse trading, saying that the Opposition should have got the Congress members caught red-handed if they had offered money.

UNI SG PL/src1615/1736