SHILLONG: KHADC CEM Pynshngain N Syiem termed the sudden decision of the State Government to pass the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya) Amendment Bill, 2015, an attempt to weaken the ongoing movement of the indigenous people and the traditional bodies against the suppression of the State Government.
“It is wrong to say that the Government has come up with the amendment Bill to target me. As per analysis, it is an attack on the indigenous people and the traditional bodies who are fighting against the suppression of the State Government. As the CEM of the KHADC, I am only leading this movement of the people,” Syiem said while talking to newsmen after his meeting with Governor V. Shanmuganathan on Tuesday.
He stated that this was not the first time that the MLAs were occupying the post of MDC, adding that he himself was in his term both as MLA and MDC.
“When I filed the nomination for the MDC election in 2014, Entry IX of the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya) Act, 1973, allowed me to be an MDC and MLA at the same time. Now, all of a sudden, the State Government wants to do away with it by enforcing the amendment Bill from October 1. All would have welcomed this move of the Government if it had been implemented after the end of this term,” said the KHADC CEM.
He said that he had decided to lead the fight on his own after realizing that he had not done anything wrong as it was existing laws which had allowed him to contest the MDC election.
“I am elected by the people and, therefore, the State Government has no right to infringe on the mandate of the people. We are governed to carry out our functions and duties as per the provisions of the Sixth Schedule and not by the laws formulated by the Government. The Council is a separate entity and the question of office of profit for the post of an MDC does not arise,” Syiem said.
Briefing about his meeting with the Governor, he said he had requested the Governor to carefully examine the amendment Bill as ‘this was a war against the people’.
When told that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had referred to the PIL while defending the amendment Bill, the KHADC CEM said, “I would like to ask the chief minister if he is the judiciary? Let the judiciary decide and we are ready to face the consequences. It is unfortunate that the head of the State is trying to mislead the people. If the matter is pending before the court then it should be sub judice.”
He further said he might move the Supreme Court to understand if the Government is allowed to make laws on matters which are sub judice.
The KHADC chief also termed the decision of some MLAs to resign from the post of MDCs as ‘a direct insult to the mandate of the people’.
“They should have at least fought against this move of the State Government before resigning from the post. This is an indication that they are keeping their own interest in front instead of looking at the interest of the people,” he added.
