[Assam] NCP blames Pradyut for missing Turung couple

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

NCP blames Pradyut for missing Turung couple

By A Staff Reporter Assam Tribune
 GUWAHATI, June 7 – The State unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a partner of the ruling UPA at the Centre, today demanded steps to trace out its leader Prasanna Turung and his wife Kamai Turung within the next 15 days. It has also demanded resignation of Power Minister Pradyut Bardoloi in this connection. The Turung couple is missing since April 8, 2007.

Addressing a press conference here today at the State headquarters of the party, NCP State president Dhirendra Dev Adhikary, it’s chief spokesperson Dilip Kumar Hazarika and general secretaries Ramen Barthakur and Akshay Rajkhowa expressed the doubt that there might be a political conspiracy behind the missing Turung couple. The inaction of the State Government on the matter has provided the ground for such a doubt, they said. 

Prasanna Turung was the NCP candidate for the Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency during the 2006 Assembly elections, while his wife was the secretary of the State youth wing of the party. Moreover, they were also leaders of the struggle for Tirap autonomous region. Both of them were abducted on April 8, 2007.

According to the NCP State wing office-bearers, Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, who represents Margherita Constituency in the State Assembly, was also not above board in this case. He had neither placed the demand for a CBI inquiry into the incident before the Chief Minister nor offered to resign for his failure to trace out the missing couple for the past about 14 months, they said.

The State Government has so far not taken any effective step to find them out despite various organisations demanding such steps. Moreover, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also failed to grant an appointment to the NCP State president in this connection, alleged the State NCP office bearers.

In case of the failure of the State Government to find out the Turung couple within the next 15 days, the NCP State wing will approach Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh with the demand for a CBI inquiry into the case, said the State NCP office bearers.