Guwahati: The entire opposition in the
Assam assembly on Wednesday walked out over the alleged multi crore N
C Development fund scam when Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai only
allowed discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment
motion.
Trouble started when the opposition members led by
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Chandra Mohan Patowary
pressed for an adjournment motion terming the scam as biggest
financial scandal hitting Assam.
Denying that the matter was subjudice, Patowary urged
the Speaker to allow the adjournment motion to discuss some
portions of the NIA probe report which mentioned the
involvement of government officers and suggested a CBI probe.
Patowary alleged that seven ministers and several
government servants were involved in the scandal and the state
government asked for a CBI probe after being compelled by the
Centre.
Several opposition members, including former Chief
Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (AGP), Aditya Langthasa
(AUDF), Mission Ranjan Das (BJP) and Dhrupad Borgohain (CPI),
spoke in support of the adjournment motion.
The Speaker then allowed a discussion on the
admissibility of the adjournment motion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bharat Chandra Narah
said the matter was subjudice as the National Investigation
Agency had filed a chargesheet in the court of NIA Special
Judge, while a PIL in Gauhati High Court and a separate case
was being heard in a Nagaon court.
Yesterday the home department had sent a notice to the
Union Home Minister asking for a CBI notification, which in
all probability would be issued today, Narah said.
Urging the Speaker not to allow the adjournment motion,
he said if the matter was allowed to be discussed in the House
when the CBI probe was on, it could hamper investigation.
Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain wondered at the need
for discussion when Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had already
ordered a CBI inquiry and the matter was in court.
He said the R K Manisena Report in 2008 on the
politician-militant nexus in N C Hills had found the
involvement of the then combined ASDC-BJP ruling the Hill
Council of funding Rs two crore to militant DHD-J.
The Speaker then intervened asserting that according
to assembly rules he could allow a call attention motion in
lieu of the adjournment motion on the matter, which some
ruling party members immediately pointed out was subjudice.
He then announced that he was reserving his ruling.
Patowary stood up and said that it was not democratic
on the part of the Speaker to disallow the adjournment motion.
This was followed by the entire opposition walking out.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 18:19