Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) The Assam Legislative Assembly Secretariat has sought comprehensive details of all pending criminal cases against Independent MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi from the state Home Department, following a controversy over the disclosure of cases against him, officials said on Friday.

According to officials, the Assembly Secretariat has written to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, asking for complete information on all criminal cases pending against Gogoi.

The department has been directed to furnish the details by July 13.

A senior government official said that the information, once received, will be placed before the Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker, Biswajit Daimary, for further consideration.

The development comes a day after a heated exchange between Gogoi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika on the floor of the Assembly over the issue of criminal cases and disclosures made in election documents.

During the discussion, Hazarika alleged that Gogoi had furnished incorrect information before the Election Commission by not disclosing all the criminal cases registered against him in his election affidavit.

According to the Minister, official government records show that 32 criminal cases have been registered against Gogoi. However, the Raijor Dal leader allegedly mentioned only 21 cases in the affidavit submitted during the election process.

The issue triggered a sharp verbal duel in the Assembly, with both leaders accusing each other of misleading the House and the public.

The latest move by the Assembly Secretariat is being viewed as an attempt to obtain authenticated records from the Home Department before taking any further procedural steps on the matter.

Neither Gogoi nor the Home Department has officially reacted to the Secretariat’s communication so far.

The issue could generate further debate in the Assembly once the report is submitted to the Speaker. Any decision on the matter is expected to depend on the official records provided by the Home Department and the legal provisions governing disclosure of criminal cases by election candidates.

The controversy has added a fresh political dimension to the ongoing Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, where several contentious issues have dominated proceedings over the past few days.

–IANS

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