AASU traitor tag for its ex-chief

Former Assam chief minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is in a very peculiar situation. While the ruling Congress has chosen to remain silent, it is the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU)— the student body which he headed for six long years — that is placing hurdles all along his way in public life.

Last week, the AASU called a bandh at Gohpur, a Northern Assam town, to prevent Mahanta from attending a meeting of the AGP. And this week, the AASU not only called Mahanta a traitor, but also accused him of allowing Assam’s river waters to flow into the river-interlinking project. ‘‘Mahanta was CM for 10 years. But he did hardly anything to implement the provisions of the Assam Accord and detect and deport the Bangladeshi migrants,’’ said AASU president Prabin Boro. Mahanta, according to the AASU, was also responsible for the police carrying out ‘‘secret killings’’ targeted at family members of militant leaders.

Boro has also alleged that the AGP, under Mahanta, had become a personal fiefdom and that the people of Assam no longer wants Mahanta to come back to power.

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Reacting to the allegations, the former CM maintained he had always tried his best to implement the Assam Accord and that it was his government that had recommended repeal of the controversial IMDT Act that has stood in the way of deporting Bangladeshi migrants.

‘‘The AGP had always stood for implementation of the Assam Accord and it had never faltered in fighting for the cause of Assam,’’ Mahanta said. ‘‘I have full respect for the AASU,’’ he added.

There have also been reports that some AGP leaders have been trying to use AASU leaders against Mahanta to prevent him from returning to the party’s leadership.