Infighting within the Congress in Assam cropped up on Saturday with APCC secretary Partha Pratim Bora spewing venom at party president Ripun Bora for his style of functioning.
Partha Pratim Bora accused Ripun Bora of treating senior leaders as “the prisoners of Tihar jail.”
It was the felicitation programme of the students of Tezpur organized by NSUI Tezpur district unit which had to be cancelled at the eleventh hour following state president’s directive that left the Congressmen red faced.
The APCC secretary alleged that Ripun Bora had even impressed upon the NSUI national president to put pressure on the NSUI district leadership to cancel the programme.
Partha Pratim Bora also alleged that Ripun Bora was hell bent to cancel the programme as CLP leader Debabrata Saikia was supposed to attend the event. According to the APCC secretary, Ripun Bora instructed the district NSUI president, Mayur Bora over the telephone to cancel the programme though he had already arranged and invited the students for felicitation. “After that the APCC president put pressure from national president of NSUI, who had threatened district NSUI president either to cancel the programme or else be suspended,” said Partha Pratim Bora.
The APCC secretary also alleged a lobby at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati led by Ripun Bora is very much active and senior leaders like Ajanta Neog, Pradyut Bordoloi and former CM Tarun Gogoi are not given any importance by this lobby.
The students and guardians who had come to Tezpur for the felicitation programme returned without any felicitation.
Partha Pratim Bora said, “It is very sad and unfortunate. I was also from NSUI. It is because of his (Ripun Bora) ego that he sabotaged the programme organized by Sonitpur district NSUI.”
One of the district NSUI workers apologized to the students and guardians in front of the media.
“Due to political issues today’s felicitation program was cancelled by the APCC president and NSUI national President ..sorry for the inconvenience,” a Facebook post said.
In the same FB post Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia said, “I have been with NSUI since my schooldays since late 70. When it was a difficult option, however, I am Sorry, I am not able to attend your program today, my best wishes to you all.”
APCC president Ripun Bora, however, rubbished the claims of Partha Pratim Bora saying that he had asked the Tezpur district unit of NSUI to cancel Saturday’s programme on June 6.