Assam Assistant Advocate General courts controversy over House selfie

Additional Advocate General of Assam Devajit Saikia has drawn controversy after he allegedly uploaded on the social networking site Facebook a selfie recently clicked in the Speaker's Gallery of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The incident took place within days of Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami suspending All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislator Aminul Islam for three days for uploading on Facebook a video of his speech inside the House.

Saikia is said to have clicked a selfie with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's Media Adviser Hrishikesh Goswami from the Speaker's Gallery when the budget session was in progress in the House and uploaded it on Facebook on Tuesday.

"The Speaker had suspended AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam for uploading the video of his speech in Facebook and we supported the move as he had violated the guidelines set by the Ethics Committee of the Assembly.

"We have the photograph and records of the Additional Advocate General of Assam uploading a selfie clicked inside the House on Facebook. We feel this is a violation, too, and we want proper action should be taken against him," said a senior AIUDF leader on Friday.

Speaker Goswami, however, said: "I am yet to receive a complaint in this regard, but I was told about the incident by some media persons who were in the gallery the same day.

"As per norms, no one is allowed to take mobile phones inside the House when the sessions is on. There are provisions of frisking by officials when general people enter the gallery to witness the House session," he said.

"We issue very limited number of passes to selected people for entering the Governor's Gallery or Speaker's Gallery. There is no provision for frisking of these people, but it is expected that they would follow the rules.

"Although no one has formally or informally informed me about this, I am examining the matter and proper action will be taken if there is a violation of rules," said Goswami.

Saikia was, however, not available for comments.

--IANS

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