Akhil Gogoi manhandled by security staff at assembly, Speaker to raise issue with officials
Guwahati, May 21: Assam assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary on Friday said that he will raise with authorities concerned the issue of alleged manhandling of anti-CAA activist and MLA Akhil Gogoi by security personnel inside the assembly complex.
Besides Gogoi himself, the opposition Congress and AIUDF raised the alleged manhandling of the Independent MLA when he was brought to the assembly complex by jail authorities for the oath-taking ceremony on the first day of the three-day session.
He has been arrested on terror and sedition charges after leading a movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He is currently in judicial custody.
When Gogoi arrived in a heavily escorted bus from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he is undergoing treatment, he was seen pushed by security personnel when the MLA tried to speak to the media outside the gate.
The security personnel were seen pushing and dragging him again when he was about to step inside the House.
"How can the police behave to an MLA this way? In this pandemic time, 20 policemen came with Gogoi and then pushed and dragged him inside the Assembly building. I request you (Speaker) to take note of this," Congress MLA Bharat Narah said inside the House.
AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam also demanded "an action" from the Speaker for dragging the jailed leader "in front of a magistrate" coming in the bus.
Reacting to these, Daimary said, "The House cannot do anything as it took place outside. However, I will raise the issue with the authorities concerned."
Earlier outside the House, Gogoi protested against the behaviour of the security personnel claiming that it is "an attempt to silence his voice".
"I am an MLA of this Assembly. How can you push and drag an MLA like an animal? This is an insult to the Assamese people and the people of Sibsagar (Gogoi's constituency). No one can silence my voice," he shouted while being pushed inside the House.
After taking oath, Gogoi raised the issue inside the House and, according to him, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika to look into the matter.
On May 11, a Special NIA Court permitted Gogoi to attend the first day of the 15th Assam Legislative Assembly to take oath as a legislator.
Raising the issue of permission granted by the court, Gogoi requested the Speaker to write to the authorities concerned for allowing him to attend the remaining two days of the session.
"I got the Assembly schedule late, so could not inform the court. There is precedence in the country. The Delhi Assembly Speaker had written for allowing a convicted BJP MLA to attend the House. So, you can also do it," he told Daimary.
The Congress also supported the request and its MLA Narah urged the Speaker to write to the administration to do the needful.
"We want you to write to the chief secretary and the DGP saying that he is an MLA and you want him in every session," he added.
The Congress MLA also demanded immediate release of Gogoi in view of the COVID-19 pandemic across the state.
Daimary said that he will consult with officials concerned and will intimate Gogoi accordingly.
Gogoi, the chief of the newly formed Raijor Dal who defeated the BJP's Surabhi Rajkonwari from the Sibsagar constituency, is the first Assamese to win an election from behind the bars without any physical campaigning.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Gogoi in December 2019 for his alleged role in violent anti- Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests across the state.
He was last year admitted at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for treating COVID-19 and he remains there for other ailments.
On April 14, the Gauhati High Court upheld the bail order of Gogoi by a Special NIA Court by dismissing an appeal by the NIA and said that any act aimed at creating civil disturbance would not come within the purview of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 unless committed with the requisite intention.
Gogoi is still in judicial custody as his bail prayer was rejected in another case related to anti-CAA violence and is being investigated by the NIA.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
