By IANS
New Delhi : Cutting across party lines, MPs from Assam Wednesday dissociated from the Delimitation Commission, alleging it had "failed to fulfil the aspirations of the different communities in the state".
In a letter to the panel's chairman Kuldeep Singh, they expressed resentment over the "single-handed approach of the commission by totally ignoring and disrespecting the associate members in preparing all its proposals till the present stage including the draft working papers".
In the letter released to the media here, the members who included Kirip Chaliha (Congress), Rajen Gohain (Bharatiya Janata Party), S.K. Bwiswmuthiary (independent) and Arun Kumar Sarma (Asom Gana Parishad) said they were feeling "humiliated" since they were asked to send a dissenting note on the final proposal "when all our earlier proposals were totally ignored."
They said that despite the categorical assurance from the commission chairman at every sitting that "all our consensus proposals will be considered while formulating the proposals for the final hearing", this did not materialise.
The members said this violated the commission's own guidelines, especially in respect of geographical boundaries "for which we cannot be party".
"We, associate members of the committee, extended all the possible help to them well within the provisions of law and the set guidelines," Chaliha told reporters.
"However, the committee clearly ignored our opinion, views and suggestions in preparing all its proposals till the present stage including the draft working papers. Hence, we have decided to disassociate ourselves from the ongoing delimitation process in Assam," he said.