By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After coming under sharp criticism from various quarters, Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh on Tuesday split hairs on the words ‘welcome’ and ‘accept’ even as he defended his earlier statement welcoming the outlawed ANVC’s offer to the State Government to fight the GNLA in Garo Hills.
The Government is of the view that it should have an open mind about any offer coming from any organisation/group to bring normalcy in the State.
What needs to be sorted out are the modalities of such cooperation keeping in view the short and long term implications, Lyngdoh told reporters here.
“Welcoming the offer does not mean accepting it,” the Home Minister asserted defensively. Lyngdoh was grilled by media persons on Tuesday on the issue following sharp criticism from the Opposition NCP against the purported move.
NCP legislator and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Conrad K Sangma on Monday said the ANVC which is on a ceasefire agreement is not part of the government.
Coming down heavily on the Home Minister’s statement Sangma said what has to be done by the Government must be done by it without getting one militant group to fight another as it could lead to a bigger crisis in the State, in general, and Garo Hills, in particular.
Sangma also termed the Home Minister’s statement of welcoming the ANVC help to tackle the GNLA as immature.
However, Lyngdoh on Tuesday clarified that the Government has not yet taken any decision to use ANVC for any operation against GNLA.
“Any such presumption on the part of the Leader of Opposition is highly unfortunate and misleading,” Lyngdoh said.
‘Enough security for Opp MLAs visiting Garo Hills’
Denying allegations of the Leader of the Opposition that the opposition MLAs are not given enough security during their visit to the
insurgency-infested Garo Hills region, Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh has clarified that the security cover for the Leader of Opposition has, in fact, been upgraded from X to Y category.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Lyngdoh said the security to the Opposition leader has been intensified following a security review meeting held recently.
The Leader of Opposition had alleged that the Opposition MLAs and ministers are not provided adequate security while the MLAs of the ruling party are given maximum security cover when they visit sensitive areas like Garo Hills.
“All other MLAs of the three districts of Garo Hills are being given security cover at par irrespective of their party affiliation, the Minister said while talking to media persons here on Tuesday.
Reacting to the allegations of the Opposition that the State Government is not paying attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in Garo Hills, the State Home Minister said regular meetings are being chaired either by him or by the Chief Minister where extensive review of the law and order situation is being carried out.
Rubbishing another Opposition charge, the Home Minister said no instance of any excesses on innocent civilians by the security personnel during the ongoing operations have been reported so far.
The NCP, earlier, had also expressed its concern over inadequate security cover provided to its MP and Union Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangma during her visits to the State.
However, the State Police have maintained that there is no let up in security of the two MPS from the State.
“We are following the directives of the Union Ministry with regards to their security,” Addl DGP (SB) SK Jain responded.