Prior to anti-Gautam Roy rally, 144 CrPC in Hailakandi

SILCHAR, Oct 30: Prior to the proposed public rally at Ainakhal near Hailakandi to be attended by political enemies of Gautam Roy, the district administration has clamped 144 CrPC apprehending the rally might disrupt the law-and-order situation.

The rally, convened by Progressive Students’ Youths Forum, would be attended by AGP leader Sahidul Alom Choudhury, former district AUDF president Anil Nath, Siddique Ahmed, the associate Congress MLA of South Karimganj Mantaj Ali, who foiled a no-confidence motion allegedly instigated by Excise Minister Gautam Roy to retain his chair of president of Karimganj Zila Parishad. Siddique Ahmed and Mantaj Ali would be felicitated in the rally, which PSYF president Abdul Malik Meera termed as purely non-political.

However, in the backdrop of recent Roy versus Siddique-Mantaj turmoil, the rally in the home town of the former has assumed much political significance.

Roy had yesterday attended a number of meetings in Karimganj including a cultural programme where he amused the spectators with a Bengali song. Roy had, in his usual care-free style, announced that he was the only Bengali face in State Cabinet and nobody could remove him. Roy even claimed that heavy-weight leader like Sontosh Mohan Dev had to taste defeat after trying to pull his legs.

But leaders like Ahmed and Sahidul Alom claimed that the way Roy had compelled the district administration to clamp 144 CrPC was the clear indication that he was scared.

Both Ahmed and Sahidul Alom told The Sentinel over telephone that Roy had conceded ‘moral defeat’ by instructing the administration to clamp 144 CrPC. Siddique Ahmed, who was once known to be a close aide of Roy, told that Mantal Ali and he would definitely attend the rally as it was organized by a non-political youth forum.

“Roy is unnecessarily trying to impose political colour to the rally”, maintained Ahmed terming the administrative move as murder of democratic rights. Pooh-poohing the Hailakandi district Congress Committee’s demand to expel Ahmed and Ali on the charge that they would be sharing platform with AUDF and AGP leaders, Ahmed said, when the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had been unveiled in Hailakandi, Roy shared the stage with BJP leader Kabindra Purkayastha. “Actually Roy is scared that his misrule and misdeeds are being focused every day and now he wants to use force to disrupt the rally”, Ahmed added. He made it clear that both Ali and he would be attending the rally and if some untoward incident happens, Hailakandi district administration and Roy would be responsible.

Former Minister Sahidul Alom Choudhury told The Sentinel that Roy had actually connected ‘moral defeat’ with his attempt to disrupt a non-political rally by using state machinery. He said, Roy, in spite of being of a State Cabinet Minister was busy in ensuring his influence in Karimganj Zila Parishad but found no time to visit the Kalain-Gumra NH 44 which was blocked by common people for 36 hours.

Refuting the claim made by Roy that Rs 50 crore had been sanctioned for the national highway by the Centre, Sahidul Alom said, Roy had misguided everyone, as more proposals had been sent. He said, Roy claimed that Binny Construction, a firm close to Roy, had been entrusted with the job to repair the highway but no tender was floated. Sahidul Alom said, to conceal his misdeeds Roy now wanted to create tension. Claiming that he had already cautioned the Deputy Commissioner that clamping of 144 CrPC would further deteriorate the law and order situation, Sahidul Alom said, he would definitely attend the rally.

Meanwhile, Gautam Roy Fan Club of Lala threatened that they would resist the rally by any means. On the other hand, PSYF leader Meera said, they have organized the rally to focus on the failure of the administration as well as public representatives in materializing various government schemes. THE SENTINEL