Former GU students threaten to disclose more
Guwahati, Nov. 27 : This may not be the last that one has heard about “donations to AASU” which had led to a faceoff between the students’ union and Vishal Mega Mart since Wednesday.
The forum of former general secretaries of the Post-Graduate Students’ Union of Gauhati University today threatened to reveal more about the union’s alleged wrongdoings.
The forum, which had triggered the controversy by distributing an audiotape that had AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya asking for money in the form of donations to the union from the retail outlet, today termed him a “mafia” and appealed to him to stop such activities.
The convenor of the forum, Niren Deka, said they would be forced to expose Bhattacharyya further if he did not stop his activities like demanding money from businessmen and business houses.
“The act of vandalism carried out by activists of the students’ union yesterday at the Vishal outlets across the state is a clear pointer to the mafia raj of Bhattacharyya,” Deka said and claimed that they had several documents to prove it.
Deka also alleged that he had received threats to his life and those of his family members since the standoff with the AASU and said the same “mafia” could be behind it.
A few days back, the forum had attacked AASU and its adviser over the latter’s opposition to mega dams in the state and subsequently distributed an audio recording of a telephonic conversation of Bhattacharyya with an official of the retail chain over payment of money to AASU. The forum also accused Bhattacharyya of taking “protection money” from business houses operating in the state.
A day after this, Bhattacharyya admitted to AASU having received donations from business houses to run its various academic and socio-cultural activities.
The students’ union also demanded an unconditional apology from Vishal for leaking the audiotape.
Yesterday, AASU supporters vandalised at least four outlets of the retail chain across the state for opening the outlets without tendering an apology.
Another member of the forum, Pranjit Choudhury, dared the students’ union to make public its financial dealings and where they spent those.
“We also appeal to the government to take legal action against Bhattacharyya for his involvement in mafia raj,” he said.
In the meantime, the AASU activists who were arrested for vandalising the Vishal outlet on AT Road here were released on bail by the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup, today. Vishal outlets across the state remained closed today.
Although sources said some top brass of the retail chain had arrived here to hold negotiations with AASU, the imbroglio is yet to end.
Bhattacharyya declined comment.
