From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) on Friday clarified that it would continue with its alliance with the ruling Congress notwithstanding the arrest of the party MLA,Pradeep Brahma by Assam Police on Wednesday night on charges of inciting mob violence in Kokrajhar during the recent riot.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday stated that it was upto the BPF to decide whether they wanted to continue with ties with the Congress or not in the wake of arrest of MLA Pradeep Brahma who is now in judicial custody in Kokrajhar.
The BPF president Hagrama Mohilary, however, stated that its legislator had been arrested on baseless charges by the police and reiterated that he must be released immediately without any condition.
The BPF is in the seat of power in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTC) and the only ally of ruling Congress in Assam.
Mohilarly further alleged that police and the administration had been not fair in arresting MLA Pradeep Brahma.
The BPF leader said there was no need to impose indefinite curfew in entire Kokrajhar district in the wake of Brahma’s arrest as there was no incidents of violence.
He said the protest demonstration resorted to by BPF supporters on the railway track for few hours on Thursday after the arrest of the MLA was also a peaceful one.
“If the administration lifts the curfew, the BPF too will withdraw the indefinite Kokrajhar district bandh called since Thursday in protest against the arrest of the MLA Brahma,” Mohilary said.
A delegation of the BPF would go to New Delhi on August 26 to meet the Prime Minister, Home Minister and other leaders over the issues related to recent violence in BTC area.
Meanwhile, seven cases registered against arrested Assam MLA Pradeep Brahma are likely to be handed over to CBI, which is already probing seven other cases related to clashes between Bodos and immigrant minorities in the state.
The MLA was charged under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons, 149 (unlawful assembly), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 427 (causing damage), 379 (theft) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
BPF is the ruling party in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District whose chief is Hagrama Mohilary. (With inputs from PTI)