Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday castigated dissident Minister Siddeque Ahmed for his remark on a television news channel that some legislators of the ruling Congress had been planning to stage a dharna in front of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s residence if their demand for change of leadership in the State was not met at the earliest.
Mr. Gogoi also accused Mr. Ahmed, who holds the portfolio of Cooperation and Border Areas Development as a Minister of State (Independent Charge) in his Ministry, of helping the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) candidate win in the Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency in the recent polls. Mr Gogoi alleged that Mr. Ahmed had mobilised 60,000 votes for the AIUDF candidate. The AIUDF wrested the seat from the Congress.
The Chief Minister alleged that the Minister had no Congress background. “A Congressman does not speak like this and no Congressman has the right to question the high command,” Mr Gogoi said when journalists sought his comment on Mr Ahmed’s remark about some dissident legislators mulling boycotting the budget session of the Assembly beginning on August 4 and some suggesting staging a dharna in front of Rahul Gandhi’s residence if their demand for change in leadership in the state was not met at the earliest.
However, Mr. Ahmed denied Mr. Gogoi’s charge that he had helped the AIUDF in the Lok Sabha polls. He also clarified that he had only said what some party legislators (dissidents) who wanted a change in leadership had suggested
