Arrested Assam Congress MLA suspended from party
Guwahati(PTI): The Assam Congress on Monday suspended its MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed with immediate effect for repeatedly violating the party's discipline, a senior leader said.
APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah, by an order, suspended Ahmed from the Congress, party general secretary Bobbeeta Sharma said.
Ahmed was arrested from his official residence on Saturday for allegedly making provocative remarks in reference to the recent eviction drive in Darrang district.
The Kamrup District Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Guwahati had on Sunday remanded him to two days' police custody under relevant sections of the IPC.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee had last week slapped a show-cause notice on the MLA for "communally provocative" statements ahead of the bypolls in the state, and sought a reply from him within three days.
On Sunday, the Assam Congress Legislature Party (ACLP) unanimously recommended that the APCC take disciplinary action against Ahmed for repeatedly violating party discipline , a release said.
Several organisations, including the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), have filed complaints against the legislator for his remarks.
The state's ruling alliance partner, Asom Gana Parishad, born out of the Assam agitation, had organised protests at various places, including Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Dhemaji, Tezpur, Biswanath, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Majuli and Morigaon, and burnt effigies of the Congress MLA.
An eviction drive held last month at Gorukhuti in Darrang district passed off peacefully on the first day, but was conducted amid stiff resistance by locals on the second day, leaving two dead in police firing, including a 12-year-old boy.
Over 20 people were injured in the melee.
Ahmed reportedly made the "communal" remarks while reacting to assertions by some leaders of the BJP-led ruling alliance that the alleged encroachers in Sipajhar area of Darrang district had killed" eight people in 1983 during the six-year-long Assam agitation.
The MLA claimed that the eight people who died in the agitation were "not martyrs, but killers", as they were involved in slaughtering others from the minority community of Sipajhar area, where Gorukhuti is located.
He had purportedly said that "the attack" on the eight people was an act of "self defence" by the Muslim population of that area.
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Vijay unable to prove majority, not invited for CM oath ceremony: Sources
Chennai: Actor-politician Vijay has reportedly not been invited to take oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after failing to demonstrate support from the required number of MLAs, sources in Raj Bhavan said.
According to media reports that quoted sources in the office of R.N. Ravi Arlekar, Vijay could not prove the backing of 118 legislators, the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Despite last-minute efforts to secure support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK), and an IUML legislator, Vijay reportedly managed support from only 116 MLAs, falling short by two members.
Sources said Vijay failed to submit letters of support from the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Later, the IUML issued a statement clarifying that it was not part of the TVK-led alliance.
Meanwhile, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran is also said to have informed the Governor that his party would support the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) instead.
Earlier in the evening, Vijay had met Governor Arlekar and staked claim to form the government, stating that he enjoyed the support of 118 MLAs.
