Govt, APCC rap NETV MD By a Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Feb 2: The State Government and the Asom Pradesh Congress Committee have condemned the NETV managing director Manoranjana Singh for her scathing remark on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in New Delhi yesterday.
Interacting with reporters at New Delhi on Thursday, Singh reportedly described the Chief Minister a "scoundrel". "Manoranjana Singh must have lost her mental balance. Otherwise, she would not have aired such a comment," Education Minister Ripun Bora told a press conference at the National Games Secretariat today. "We are looking into the legal aspects of Singh's remarks," he added. When asked about the security provided to the NETV managing director in the wake of the one-month ultimatum served by the ULFA to the satellite channel, Bora said, "We are ready to provide security if she approaches the Government. We can even provide security to the property also." In a press statement, APCC general secretary Dr. Haren Das said, "The Chief Minister represents three crore people of the State. So, insult to the Chief Minister is actually an insult to all the people of the State." Influx issue: Bhattacharya urges tribes to stand united >From our Correspondent JAGIROAD, Feb 2: "If influx of illegal Bangladeshis is to stop, it is of prime importance that every ethnic tribe of the State unitedly raises their voice," said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya while addressing the open session of the 45th biennial conference of the Karbi Students' Union (KSU) at Sindhumoni Khetra, Amlighat, near here recently. Addressing the session which was chaired by KSU president Bhubaneswar Teron, Bhattacharyaa questioned New Delhi's sincerity to settle the influx issue, once and for all. "If the Centre could seal the Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir within two years, why has it take more than 26 years to seal India's border with Bangladesh," he said. "Though Tarun Gogoi may go on record saying that there are no illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Asom, former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia had admitted that at least 30 lakh illegal Bangladeshi settlers had settled in Asom. His statement was substantiated by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil when he raised the figure to 50 lakh. If this is the case, why is the Centre not acting accordingly," Bhattacharya added. The session was also addressed by many other invitees, including AJYCP adviser Dilip Patgiri, Tribal Sangha president Aditya Khakhlari and Sahitya Akademi award-winner Bidor Singh Kro. Earlier, the session was inaugurated by Mukunda Bey.
