STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Pabindra Deka – former Minister and three times legislator from the Patacharkuchi Constituency of Barpeta district – has quit the AGP (Asom Gana Parishad). The present MLA tendered his papers to party president Atul Bora on Tuesday.
Talking to the media at his quarter in the MLAs' hostel in Dispur, Deka said, "I've resigned from the primary membership of AGP on several grounds. The party has failed to reflect the burning issues of the State. Above all, the AGP is presently working at the dictates of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)."
Deka added, "One of the main issues of the people of Assam is their opposition to the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). However, the AGP extended its support to this Bill when it was placed in the Parliament. This goes against the very ideology of the regional party. Its subsequent move opposing CAA in the Supreme Court has made the party a laughing stock among the masses. What is more, till date the AGP has not shown its solidarity with the families of CAA martyrs."
Posing, "Why is the AGP now silent on the issues of big dams, airport privatization, and the Centre's legislations on farmers?" he further alleged, "The three AGP Ministers have not raised the issue of corruption in the recruitment processes of various departments even once. The party is simply ignoring the raging issue of price hike too."
Referring to the non-implementation of Clause-VI of the Assam Accord, Deka said, "For the sake of Ministerial berths, the three AGP Ministers are keeping mum on this vital subject. This is despite the fact that the State government has not taken any decision on the recommendations of the High-Level Committee."
Pabindra Deka was first elected to the Assam Assembly in 1985, with the highest percentage of 92.01 of the polled votes. He was inducted into the Cabinet of the then Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Subsequently, he was re-elected from the same Constituency in 2001 and 2016.
Sources have hinted that Deka may join the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP).
Meanwhile reacting to the move of Deka, AGP general secretary Manoj Saikia said, "In fact, Pabindra Deka has been playing opportunistic politics since long. Earlier, he had quit the AGP and contested the Assembly elections as a Congress candidate.
With the resignation of Deka from the AGP, the party now has 13 MLAs in the 126-member Assam Assembly.