GUWAHATI: Along with Congress formations in rest of the country, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) staged a dharna in front of the regional CBI office at Betkuchi in Guwahati on Friday in protest against sending the Bureau Director and the Special CBI Director on leave by the Centre.
The Government at the Centre sent CBI Director Alok Verma and Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana on leave. The Congress has been opposing the action taken by the BJP-led government at the Centre on the ground that such an action would affect impartial inquiry into the Rafale Deal. The party also criticized, what it said, the intervention from the Centre at the independence of the investigating agency.
Led by its president Ripun Bora, the Congress leaders staged the dharna in front of the regional Bureau office in the city on Friday. After the dharna, the party sent a memorandum to the President of India through the Deputy Commissioner raising two demands – an apology from the Prime Minister for sending the CBI Director on leave and his reinstatement in the post and freedom so as to ensure an impartial inquiry into the Rafale Deal.
The agitation was attended, among others, by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Debabrata Saikia.