NE staff diktat: Cong seeks judicial probe, says IB probe

Congress today demanded a judicial probe into allegation that employees of northeast origin were asked to stay away during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to a city hotel last week, saying the IB investigation ordered by the government was nothing but a "cover up".
"Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Arjun Modhwadia today demanded a judicial probe into an act of suppression of the incident of insulting citizens of northeast states," an official statement by GPCC said.
"The act was committed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) whereby they (NE staff) were prevented from entering Hotel Hyatt during the stay of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad," the release said.

The Congress has alleged that employees of northeast origin of Alpha One mall also were asked not to come for duty on September 17 when Xi visited the city.
The Union Home Ministry yesterday ordered a probe into the allegations and asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to find out veracity of the order, and if so, who issued it and why. However, the city police and the hotel management had already denied issuing any such instructions.
Modhvadia said that Union government ordered the IB probe only after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi raised the matter which was then taken up by the media.

"When the media and the country pointed out to this act of Gujarat and central governments while questioning patriotism of Northeast people and when Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi asked for explanation from prime minister, then only the IB probe was ordered into the incident," he said.
Modhvadia said that the probe by the IB is to "cover up" the entire incident.
"This act of investigation by Intelligence Bureau is to cover up this incident. In fact, a judicial inquiry should also be ordered on this act of suspecting patriotism of citizens of the northeast and to insult them," he said.