Gauhati HC dismisses petition challenging stay order against directive blocking AGP resolutions

Guwahati, Jan. 21 (PTI): The Gauhati High Court has dismissed a petition challenging a stay order against a lower court directive blocking all resolutions of Asom Gana Parishad’s latest general body meeting, held in defiance of instructions from a civil judge.

In a recent judgment, Justice Kalyan Rai Surana dismissed the petition, stating that the issues raised “appears to be only academic”.

The revision plea was jointly filed by AGP’s Guwahati City Committee president Jiten Deka, working president Hemen Lahkar and secretary Girin Talukdar, who were removed from their posts after they had opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019.

The petition was filed against AGP president Atul Bora, working president Keshab Mahanta and senior leader Phani Bhushan Choudhury all ministers in the BJP-led state government.

It also included five other senior leaders as respondents in the case.

When contacted, Talukdar said the high court has dismissed only the review petition and the original case will continue in the lower court.

On October 7 last year, the Additional District Judge of Kamrup Metropolitan Utpal Rajkhowa had stayed the order issued by the Civil Judge (Senior Division) Shakti Sharma.

Sharma had on September 5 stayed all resolutions, including election of party president, of AGP that were adopted at a general body meeting on August 27.

On August 26, the lower court had ordered the AGP not to hold its ‘Kendriya Sadharan Parishad’ meet on the next day, citing violation of the party’s constitution and COVID-19 guidelines, and asked to maintain “status quo” till the next date, which was fixed as November 19.

However, the AGP went ahead with the public gathering, claiming non-receipt of the order and elected all its incumbent office bearers as the new leaders, including Bora as the unopposed party chief, within just 45 minutes.