Mahanta pooh-poohs Deka

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 5: As though protected by a shock absorbing device, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has evaded a volley of questions fired at him by BJP MP Ramen Deka today.

When asked by reporters on the four queries he was asked by the BJP MP earlier in the day today, Mahanta pushed the queries aside, and said: "I don't feel like replying to his queries. He isn't that sort of an important man. He doesn't know the definition of efficiency. Let him make people know what he has done as an MP? The people will be happy to know that. In 2001, he used to sit in my house requesting me to recommend his me to Vajpayeeji and Advaniji for BJP ticket, and I did help him. There're much more to say, but l don't want to let him down. He will be ashamed of it. He has criticized us only to the hush up the failure on the part of the BJP government at the Centre."

Meanwhile, Mahanta said: "Tomorrow all those connected with the Assam Agitation will meet in the city at a convention called by the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha. Family members of the martyrs of Assam Agitation, and all others connected to the agitation have been invited to the convention. Even those who haven't got any invitation as yet should come to the convention. The convention is necessitated as the recent notification issued by the Centre is a threat to the language and culture of Assam. The BJP government at the Centre has issued the notification as poll politics. Assam can never shoulder the burden of the foreigners who entered the State after 1971."        

Former MP Kumar Dipak Das said: "The BJP is making some reactiory comments with a view to shutter tomorrow's convention."