Borjhar, May 10: Three leading Rabha organisations today branded former minister Pranay Rabha an “agent of the Congress” for accusing All Rabha Students’ Union (Arsu) president Tonkeshwar Rabha of obstructing elections to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council and running a “syndicate raj”.

Pranay Rabha, former minister for welfare of plain tribes and backward classes, has been also a former MLA from Dudhnoi Assembly constituency in Goalpara district.

The Kamrup district units of All Rabha Women Council, Sixth Schedule Demand Committee and Arsu said the charges against Tonkeshwar were baseless and politically motivated. At a news meet held at Boko in Kamrup district, the groups alleged that the former minister was indulging in divisive politics under the banner of the All Rabha National Council, of which he is the president, for his political interest.

As many as 23 anchalik units of the Arsu in Goalpara district today burnt the effigy of Pranay Rabha, who had also accused Tonkeshwar of collecting illegal tax.

“We challenge him to prove the allegations brought against the Arsu president,” Sanjib Rabha, the president of Kamrup district unit of Arsu, said. He added that during his stint as minister in the Tarun Gogoi government in 2001, Pranay Rabha had allegedly turned a blind eye to the problems confronting the crisis-ridden community.

The Rabha population is mostly spread across parts of Goalpara and Kamrup districts.

The groups alleged that the former legislator was working as an “agent” of the Congress with an eye on a party ticket from Dudhnoi in the 2016 polls.

“We will not allow anybody to play dirty for personal interest. If the former minister is willing to work for the welfare of the Rabhas, he should quit the Congress,” Sanjib said.

He also alleged that Pranay Rabha was creating hurdles in the way of carrying forward the Arsu and Sixth Schedule Demand Committee’s democratic movement. The groups warned the former minister to refrain from such activities.

Polls to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council, which was scheduled for April 30 but was deferred to the first week of May, has been put off till law and order returns to normal and preparations related to the polls are over. The council polls have not been held since its formation in 1995.

Sudhir Ranjan, national convener of the human rights cell of the BJP, accused the Congress government of violating human rights in the Rabha Hasong areas. He said ethnic communities living in the areas for several years were facing identity crisis because of alleged invasion of illegal migrants.