Congress yet to take decision on Ripun Bora 

Guwahati, June 5: The Congress leadership in Assam is yet to take any decision regarding the issue of expulsion of arrested Assam education minister Ripun Bora.

APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita on Thursday only said, “Such conduct is not expected of Ripun Bora. We have already taken action by dropping him from the cabinet.” Kalita however, refused to comment much saying the matter is ‘sub judice’ now.  

“I am not defending the action of Bora. It is only the Congress which does not give tickets to persons who has been charge sheeted in criminal cases," Said Kalita while trying to defend the party from embarrassment, particularly at a time when party president Sonia Gandhi is slated to visit the state on June 13. 

Almost all the Opposition parties including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), AGP (Progressive) and BJP has demanded resignation of chief minister Tarun Gogoi on moral grounds.  

On Thursday, AGP (Progressive) alleged that the Congress has been trying to defend Ripun Bora. AGP (P) General Secretary Hemanta Kalita said that on April 24, 2005 the Gauhati high court has ordered for a CBI probe in the Daniel Topno murder case.  

"In July, 2005, Assam government filed a review petition stating that state Criminal investigation department is competent enough to handle the case. However, the case was given to CBI for investigation," he said and added that the chief minister was aware of Ripun Bora’s involvement in Danial Topno murder case and that is the reason why they (the government) filed the review petition. 

"We have submitted a memorandum to President of India and Assam Governor demanding dismissal of Tarun Gogoi led government as the state is not at all safe in their hands. Gogoi must resign and must seek fresh mandate from the people,” he said. 

The APCC president, however, termed the whole episode as unfortunate. “It is apparent that the criticism and agitation activities spearheaded by various opposition parties are politically motivated and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Congress and the government,” he observed. 

The APCC president further said that as an autonomous and independent body, CBI is expected to conduct fair and impartial investigations into the case and thereafter the law will take its own course. “Opposition parties are trying to mislead the people about the Congress and the state government in their sinister design to gain political mileage out of the incident. It is understandable that there was no issue at all in recent times for Opposition parties to exploit and this why they have pounced on this single issue as oxygen to keep the Opposition alive,” said the APCC president.

Ripun Bora, along with the businessman, were arrested in New Delhi on Tuesday on charges of trying to offer a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to a DSP of the CBI, who is the investigation officer of the case relating to murder of Daniel Topno. The Chief Minister dropped Ripun Bora from his Cabinet immediately after his arrest and the State Governor accepted the recommendation of the chief minister Gogoi.