Assam CM urges Centre to take up review of SC judgement

Guwahati, Feb 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister TarunGogoi today requested the Centre to take steps to review therecent Supreme Court''s judgement that supporters of any bannedorganisation are not punishable by law.

"The judgement will have serious consequences andencourage anti-Indian and secessionist forces in the days tocome," Gogoi told reporters here.

In such a case, it will be very difficult to maintainthe law-and-order situation and "I think this verdict by theapex court calls for a review", he said.

The Supreme Court had recently passed an order statingthat being merely a member of a banned organisation is notpunishable unless there is clinching evidence of the person''sdirect involvement in any violent incident.

Gogoi''s remarks comes in the backdrop of banned ULFA''sunconditional talks with the Centre. Assam has been hit bydecades of insurgency before the ULFA could be brought to thenegotiating table.

The chief minister criticised the Opposition partiesin the state for disrupting the proceedings in the just-concluded session terming it as "unfortunate and uncalledfor".

"The opposition got ample opportunity to pin down thegovernment on the issue of North Cachar Hills funds diversionscam but they adopted an escapist attitude which cannot beunderstood by the people of Assam," Gogoi said.

Taking a dig at Leader of Opposition Prafulla KumarMahanta, he said the former chief minister has no right tocriticise the government.

"Mahanta is the only chief minister to be issuedcharge sheet by CBI in the history of Assam. He as the Leaderof the Opposition has actually hatched a conspiracy tosafeguard himself on the floor of the house by not allowing adebate on the NC Hills scam," Gogoi said.