'Missing' MP row

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 2: The Congress MLA of English Bazaar, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, today walked out of a meeting convened by the district magistrate for the preparation of three-day state level primary children sports meet, 2009, slated to be inaugurated in Malda on 12 February.

The MLA protested against the district primary school council's decision not to print the name of the Malda MP from the Congress in the invitation card as among important personalities to be present in the inauguration ceremony.

The MLA Mr Choudhury got the letter that was circulated among many reputed persons and pointed the mistake at the beginning of the meeting today.

The district primary school council (DPSC) chairman, Mr Uttam Sarkar, acknowledged his mistake and ensured that this would never be repeated in future.

Mr Choudhury called the state sports meet, 2009, as a "political festival of the CPI-M" and before walking out of the meeting, he said: “I would never join the inauguration ceremony.”

The sabhadhipati of the Malda zilla parishad, belonging to the Congress, supported the Congress MLA's protest and asked the chairman to rectify his mistake. Finally, the chairman of the DPSC, Mr Uttam Sarkar has agreed to reprint the invitation card again including the name of the Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury.

“It is my mistake. I wanted to print at least three MPs’ name such as Mr Ranen Barman, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and Mr AH Khan Choudhury who are directly connected with Malda district. Due to prolonged illness of Mr Das Munshi we could not seek his permission to print his name. As a result, we decided to drop all MPs name.”

According to the newly printed cards, the school education minister, Mr Partha De, will inaugurate the children sports meet, 2009, at Malda district sports association ground on 12 February., according to the present invitation card circulated.