Guwahati, Feb 11 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today requested the Centre to take steps to review the recent Supreme Court''s judgement that supporters of any banned organisation are not punishable by law.
"The judgement will have serious consequences and encourage anti-Indian and secessionist forces in the days to come," Gogoi told reporters here.
In such a case, it will be very difficult to maintain the law-and-order situation and "I think this verdict by the apex court calls for a review", he said.
The Supreme Court had recently passed an order stating that being merely a member of a banned organisation is not punishable unless there is clinching evidence of the person's direct involvement in any violent incident.
Gogoi's remarks comes in the backdrop of banned ULFA's unconditional talks with the Centre. Assam has been hit by decades of insurgency before the ULFA could be brought to the negotiating table.
The chief minister criticised the Opposition parties in the state for disrupting the proceedings in the just-concluded session terming it as "unfortunate and uncalled for".
"The opposition got ample opportunity to pin down the government on the issue of North Cachar Hills funds diversion scam but they adopted an escapist attitude which cannot be understood by the people of Assam," Gogoi said.
Taking a dig at Leader of Opposition Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, he said the former chief minister has no right to criticise the government.
"Mahanta is the only chief minister to be issued charge sheet by CBI in the history of Assam. He as the Leader of the Opposition has actually hatched a conspiracy to safeguard himself on the floor of the house by not allowing a debate on the NC Hills scam," Gogoi said.
