GUWAHATI, June 18 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today ruled out removal of any ‘tainted’ minister as demanded by the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Terming the AGP demand as vague and politically motivated one, he dared the AGP to name the ‘tainted’ ministers in his ministry. The AGP had at a recent press meet, made the demand for removal of some tainted Ministers from Gogoi’s Ministry referring to a letter of Transport Minister Anjan Dutta. However, the opposition party had refrained from naming any of the Ministers in this connection.
Taking a dig at the AGP president Brindaban Goswami’s demand for his (Gogoi) resignation for his Government’s failure in improving the law-and-order situation, in checking misappropriation of the public money and dividing the people on ethnic lines, Gogoi demanded that going by the results of the latest elections in the State, the AGP president should resign.
Brindaban Goswami’s party came second in his own Legislative Assembly Constituency of Tezpur and in the whole of Sonitpur district, the home district of the AGP president, the regional party drew a blank in the last Lok Sabha elections, Gogoi claimed. “People have reposed faith in me and my party by their verdicts in the elections one after another. The moment I feel that I have lost that confidence of the people, I will quit,” he said. The Chief Minster also tried to allay the fears of the non-Mising people of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts that granting of Sixth Schedule autonomy to the Misings of the two districts would harm them. “Everybody’s interest will be taken care of in the proposed dispensation. Nobody should apprehend any discrimination,” he said.