SHILLONG: With Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma and his brother and Cabinet Minister Zenith M. Sangma not stepping down to facilitate an impartial probe into their ST status coupled with the worsening law and order situation in Garo Hills, Tennydard Marak, who is following up the ST status issue, has sought imposition of President’s Rule in the State.
In a letter submitted to Meghalaya Governor K.K. Paul on Tuesday, Tennydard said that news reports allege that the Chief Minister of Meghalaya is in station hardly for 10 days which indicates that governance is at a standstill and lack of Governance was responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation.
According to Tennydard, recommendation to the President of India for proclamation of President’s Rule under Article 356 is necessary considering the present situation of the State.
He also said President’s Rule should continue till the final disposal of the court cases and fair and impartial enquiry is completed on the ST status of Mukul M. Sangma and his brother Zenith M. Sangma.
According to Tennydard, he had reminded the Governor in the past that “it would be inappropriate to allow the Chief Minister and his brother, incumbent Cabinet Minister, to take part in the sessions of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly keeping in view the pendency of the Supreme Court cases and at least till July 21, 2014, for which the Supreme Court’s Dasti Notice has been served to all the respondents which includes the Government of Meghalaya , Mukul M. Sangma, Zenith M. Sangma, Triptirani M. Sangma, the State Level Scrutiny Committee apart from National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, New Delhi, Election Commission of India and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi.”
He said forwarding the representations to the State Government for appropriate action again is nothing but waste of time which further delays the process.
Tennydard said that the Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, which has been set up under Article 338 A of the Constitution of India, and is entrusted with duties to inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of Scheduled Tribes had sent its first letter on September 19,2013, second letter on February 14, 2014 followed by reminder on March18, 2014, asking the Chief Secretary to submit his comments along with an action taken report within 30 days on the points raised in his representation but the official failed to reply in time.
“Moreover, two letters had been forwarded to the Chief Secretary from the Office of the President’s Secretariat vide Sl. No. P2/D/0703140107 and 110 dated 07/03/2014 with direction to communicate action taken on the petition directly to the petitioner (Tennydard) under intimation to the President’s Secretariat but without any positive response from the Government for reasons best known to them,” Tennydard alleged.