Karbis burn Dey's effigy, warn him

From our Correspondent

DIMORIA, July 7: A politician skilled at controversy, former minister Dr. Ardhendu Dey is embroiled in another controversy. This time around, the MLA said that the Karbis of the State came to Assam only after 1971. He made the statement yesterday. Both Karbis and Amri Karbis today burnt the effigy of the minister in the Dimoria area in protest against his statement.

While as minister, Dr. Dey was in troubled waters when he had said that a person in Assam could have full meal at Rs 2.

Sparks of anger flared within the community today when its members under the banner of the Karbi Students' Union (KSU) and the Amri Karbi Students' Union (AKSU) took to the streets in the Dimoria area and burnt the effigy of the Congress MLA.

KSU president Ratneswar Rohang said: "MLA Ardhendu Dey has lost his mental balance. Bishnu Prasad Rabha was on record saying once that the Karbis are the Columbus of Assam. And now MLA Dey wants to frame us as foreigners for his political mileage. He has been identified as an enemy of the Karbis. We also warn him from making any such remark in future."

AKSU president Hareswar Rohang said: "MLA Dey has to tender a public apology for making such a comment. If he doesn't, all the ethnic groups of the Dimoria area will start a vigorous agitation against him."