Tarun Gogoi to resign today
NEW DELHI, May 21 (TNN): Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will resign from his post on Thursday (22 May, 2014). Gogoi, earlier, had attributed a bit of "arrogance and complacency" within himself and the Congress for the party's poor show in the the Lok Sabha elections in Assam. Gogoi arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to offer his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and seek her directives on his future role. Gogoi's decision comes after dissidents once again called for change of leadership following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress won just three Lok Sabha seats in Assam. A group of rebel ministers and legislators have carried out a signature campaign for the leadership change. Pro-Gogoi ministers have countered this by asking the chief minister to form a new cabinet. "We have proposed to the chief minister to call for resignation of all ministers so that he gets a freehand to form a new cabinet. I have also talked to few ministers and we are all ready to submit our papers," forest minister Rockybul Hussain said. On Monday, pro-Gogoi legislators met the chief minister and pressed for new faces in the cabinet, who can deliver before the 2016 assembly elections. The group asked Gogoi to form the new cabinet within 15 days. Significantly, the pro-Gogoi group wants the chief minister to call off the alliance with Bodo People's Front after several organizations and people alleged it had instigated recent killings of Bengali-speaking Muslims.
NSCN(K) woman cadre arrested
ITANAGAR, MAY 21 (PTI): A woman cadre of NSCN (K), who was collecting information about the movement of security forces, was arrested from Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh, police said today. Likjong Mandak was caught by security forces when she was found collecting information about the movement of security forces and extorting money yesterday, Changlang district SPVijay Kumar said. Mandak, who had undergone training across the border in 2010, revealed during interrogation that women cadres were trained for the purpose of conducting recce and collecting information about movement of security forces.
NPP wants Meghalaya CM to quit over student's death
Shillong, May 21 (IANS): Meghalaya's opposition National People's Party (NPP) Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Home Minister Roshan Warjri over the custodial death of a student in an assault case involving 12 women. Balsan Marak, 20, one of the 10 accused of illegal confinement, kidnapping and torture of 12 women, including a pregnant woman, died at the Tura Civil Hospital in West Garo Hills district. Marak was arrested May 13 and sent to 14 days' judicial custody. Family members of the dead man asked the government to recommend a CBI probe into the matter. The NPP also demanded the immediate removal of district police chief Mukesh K. Singh. On May 9, police arrested five women for the illegal confinement, kidnapping and torture of 12 women, who were held captive for eight days at the residence of Jaynie Ningring N. Sangma, leader of the Civil Society Women's Organisation. Five men were also arrested May 13 on charges of abetment, criminal intimidation of one of the confined women, who is six months pregnant. Balsan Marak's mother said her son was innocent, and he had no role to play in the case. All businesses closed for two hours Wednesday evening following a call by several groups condemning the custodial death.
NEW DELHI, May 21 (TNN): Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will resign from his post on Thursday (22 May, 2014). Gogoi, earlier, had attributed a bit of "arrogance and complacency" within himself and the Congress for the party's poor show in the the Lok Sabha elections in Assam. Gogoi arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to offer his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and seek her directives on his future role. Gogoi's decision comes after dissidents once again called for change of leadership following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress won just three Lok Sabha seats in Assam. A group of rebel ministers and legislators have carried out a signature campaign for the leadership change. Pro-Gogoi ministers have countered this by asking the chief minister to form a new cabinet. "We have proposed to the chief minister to call for resignation of all ministers so that he gets a freehand to form a new cabinet. I have also talked to few ministers and we are all ready to submit our papers," forest minister Rockybul Hussain said. On Monday, pro-Gogoi legislators met the chief minister and pressed for new faces in the cabinet, who can deliver before the 2016 assembly elections. The group asked Gogoi to form the new cabinet within 15 days. Significantly, the pro-Gogoi group wants the chief minister to call off the alliance with Bodo People's Front after several organizations and people alleged it had instigated recent killings of Bengali-speaking Muslims.
NSCN(K) woman cadre arrested
ITANAGAR, MAY 21 (PTI): A woman cadre of NSCN (K), who was collecting information about the movement of security forces, was arrested from Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh, police said today. Likjong Mandak was caught by security forces when she was found collecting information about the movement of security forces and extorting money yesterday, Changlang district SPVijay Kumar said. Mandak, who had undergone training across the border in 2010, revealed during interrogation that women cadres were trained for the purpose of conducting recce and collecting information about movement of security forces.
NPP wants Meghalaya CM to quit over student's death
Shillong, May 21 (IANS): Meghalaya's opposition National People's Party (NPP) Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Home Minister Roshan Warjri over the custodial death of a student in an assault case involving 12 women. Balsan Marak, 20, one of the 10 accused of illegal confinement, kidnapping and torture of 12 women, including a pregnant woman, died at the Tura Civil Hospital in West Garo Hills district. Marak was arrested May 13 and sent to 14 days' judicial custody. Family members of the dead man asked the government to recommend a CBI probe into the matter. The NPP also demanded the immediate removal of district police chief Mukesh K. Singh. On May 9, police arrested five women for the illegal confinement, kidnapping and torture of 12 women, who were held captive for eight days at the residence of Jaynie Ningring N. Sangma, leader of the Civil Society Women's Organisation. Five men were also arrested May 13 on charges of abetment, criminal intimidation of one of the confined women, who is six months pregnant. Balsan Marak's mother said her son was innocent, and he had no role to play in the case. All businesses closed for two hours Wednesday evening following a call by several groups condemning the custodial death.
