SHILLONG: The State’s first woman Home Minister Roshan Warjri, who resigned on moral ground on Thursday for unabated blood letting in Garo Hills has denied that she was not given a free hand to function as the Minister.
“It is not true that I was not given a free hand to function,” Warjri told newsmen on the sidelines of the function of laying of the foundation stone by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for construction of Multi-Facility Utility Centre-cum-Community Hall and Dorbar at Mawkhar here on Saturday.
When quizzed why the Chief Minster repeatedly addressed her as the Home Minister during the function, she said that it was because the resignation was yet to be accepted.
“I have submitted my resignation, and the resignation letter stands because I claim moral responsibility for the loss of precious lives,” she said.
While replying to a question why she had to resign when the protracted violence in Garo Hills has been occurring even before she took over as Home Minister, Warjri said that it was welling up, and it has been happening (for too long)”.
She said that the senseless killings of innocent people and police in uniform had pained her enormously adding that she felt morally responsible for the unabated violence and killings.
When asked if she was relieved of the Home portfolio, whether she would stay in the cabinet, Warjri said, “we will cross the bridge when we reach, but the fact remains that I have quit from the cabinet”.
She also denied that the resignation had anything to do with the dissidence in the Congress.
To a question whether the situation in the Garo Hills will improve with her resignation, she said, “Well, you see, new strategies will be adopted”.