Congress stares at split

Hiranya Bora and Diganta Kalita quit party, more rumblings of discontent among Congressmen

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 29: The State Congress unit today showed signs of disintegration, with the resigtion of former minister Hiranya Bora and another party leader Diganta Kalita, a development that the party officially termed as "unfortute".

Bora and Kalita on Monday quit the party following days of confrontation with APCC president Anjan Dutta.

The APCC president had slapped show-cause notices on five party leaders, including Bora and Kalita, after they openly criticized his leadership.

"The party in Assam is plagued by bias and injustice. The APCC president has formed an executive committee with a gang of crimils. The APCC president is running the party in an authoritarian style," Bora, who also criticized Dutta's arrogance, said at a press conference while announcing his resigtion.

At the press conference, Bora was flanked by senior leaders Diganta Kalita, Ra Khan and Adil Shah, all of whom were slapped show-cause notices by the APCC.

Bora, who had been a member of the party for six decades, also accused the APCC of "misguiding" the AICC on various matters.

"Senior leaders are no longer given due respect in the APCC," Bora said, rubbishing charges by the APCC leadership that he and his aides were indulging in blackmailing tactics.

"A CBI probe (in Saradha scam) is on against Anjan Dutta. It is his moral responsibility to quit the APCC president's post till he is given clean chit by the investigating agency," Bora added.

Diganta Kalita raised questions on Anjan Dutta's educatiol qualification. "In an affidavit in 1996, he stated that he was a graduate. In 2011, in an assembly directory, he stated that he is a matriculate. Which one is correct? APCC is being run by a crony clique now. The president is not bigger than the party," Kalita, who also quit the party, said.

Another disgruntled leader, Bolin Kuli, told reporters that he "may not" reply to the show-cause served by the APCC. "We will be holding a 'Chintan Baithak' in Guwahati on July 26 where people from various organizations, intellectuals and jourlists will be invited. We will invite suggestions from all regarding our future course of action," Kuli said, giving enough hints that some leaders were gearing up to come out of the party and float a separate organisation.

Later in the evening, Hiranya Bora said that after he addressed the press conference in the morning, he has been getting calls from many unhappy Congress members in various districts who are ready to quit the party.

Asked as to whether they have selected the me of the new party, Bora said, "Some are suggesting Asom Congress…some Asom Jatiyatabadi Congress. But the ideology will be regiolism."

It is believed that a former Congress minister is behind the move to form a new party.

APCC vice president Ripun Bora termed the developments as "unfortute".

"Hiranya Bora had made a lot of sacrifices and served the party. The party too had given him returns. However, if anyone is not given a portfolio, it does not mean that his status has gone down," the APCC spokesman said.