Sources said that the BJP through its leader, Sushma Swaraj is likely to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha next week to embarrass the ruling Congress Party. A number of State ministers, besides several bureaucrats are allegedly under the CBI and National investigation Agency (NIA) scanner.
A senior Lok Sabha MP of Assam told this Correspondent that they are ready with their response and the BJP’s charges will not go unchallenged. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was consulted in Mumbai and help of officials of the State Government sought in preparing the White Paper. The Congress is reading some of its best speakers to take on the Opposition.
Several of the State MPs including chief whip of the Congress Party Paban Singh Ghatowar besides other Members of the Congress Party’s have been briefed on the issue to counter the Opposition charges. The Congress Party MP Lalitmohan Suklabaidya has been given charges of drafting the paper, which is being circulated among the Party MPs, sources said.
It has been learnt that the White Paper draws heavily from the State Governments’ responses in the State Assembly and the Chief Minister’s statements. That the Congress itself took the initiative in ordering an audit by the CAG and subsequent handing over of the case to NIA and CBI would be high-lighted.
However, a division within the Opposition ranks is likely to be exploited by the ruling Congress Party. That the AGP, which has been most vocal, is not in tune with the BJP and other opposition parties have come as a relief to the Congress benches, the MP said.
Though the issue has been raised by AGP’s two MPs Biren Baishya and Kumar Deepak Das in Rajya Sabha, it has not rattled the ruling Congress.
A BJP MP said the AGP leadership appeared to have blundered, when it failed to solicit support of the BJP and other Opposition Parties. AGP has one MP in Lok Sabha and two in Rajya Sabha and expectedly had little visible impact in the House, when Kumar Deepak Das raised the issue during Zero Hour last week. Bhubaneswar Kalita blunted the charges, when he managed to have certain portion of Das’s speech particularly those naming individuals, expunged. At the end, Baishya was the lonely MP in the House, who associated with the issue.
Desperate not to be seen in company of BJP, the AGP delegation including its president, Chandra Mohan Patowary and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta during their tour of the capital, last month, to seek Central intervention, curiously enough declined to meet the BJP Central leaders to work out a floor coordination arrangement on two vital issues including the N C Hills scam and mega dam issue.
Sources said the AGP leaders contacted Bijoya Chakravarty for arranging an appointment with Opposition leader Susham Swaraj. It was fixed but Patowary reportedly declined it at the last moment. When asked, the Guwahati MP admitted having arranged an appointment. “It was deeply embarrassing for me when they cancelled it at the last minute,” she said.
