By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Guwahati : Two-time former Assam chief minister and founder of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prafulla Kumar Mahanta’s political future hangs in the balance after being indicted by a probe investigating ‘secret killings’ of relatives of separatists.
The ‘secret killings’ became a major issue during the assembly polls in 2001 in which the Congress party led by Tarun Gogoi returned to power, defeating the AGP.
The former chief minister was replaced in 2001 as party president on a bigamy charge and was later unceremoniously expelled from the party he founded in 1985 for ‘anti-party’ activities. However, he denies both charges.
Mahanta has since formed the Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) and is the party’s lone representative in the state legislature.
Last week, the former chief minister was indicted in the Justice K.N. Saikia commission report that was tabled in the Assam assembly.
The commission, investigating the extra-judicial killings of nearly 45 family members and relatives of militants belonging to the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), said such incidents could not have happened without the state home minister’s knowledge.
Mahanta was then chief minister and was also holding the home portfolio.
The present Congress-led government has already threatened to take action against Mahanta.
Joining the bandwagon is the AGP led by Brindaban Goswami.
“The commission has indicted Mahanta and he should answer the charges. The issue of secret killings is a reality although the all AGP members cannot be blamed,” Goswami told IANS.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi earlier said the all AGP ministers during the Mahanta regime should be held collectively responsible for the crime.
“Mahanta is now a half-dead politician and along with him his cabinet colleagues are responsible for the secret killings,” Gogoi told IANS.
With the AGP leaving Mahanta in the lurch to defend the charges, the former chief minister is now totally isolated — demands for action against Mahanta from various groups and individuals is gathering momentum.
“We have already expelled Mahanta from the party and it is for the law to take its own course,” the AGP president said.
Mahanta on his part maintains the Congress government was ‘out to destabilise’ his political career by falsely implicating him in the report.