‘Congress engineered splits, Prez rules in State’
SHILLONG: At a time when Congress both at the Centre and in Arunachal Pradesh is blaming BJP for the President’s rule in that state, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has pointed out there is no reason for Congress to bank on clean politics, since the same party at the Centre with the support from the state Congress leadership had engineered defections, splits and imposition of President’s rule twice in Meghalaya.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, UDP chief Donkupar Roy said that while he was the Chief Minister from 2008 March till 2009 March, he tried to control corruption. “The state was peaceful, and there was no unrest in Garo Hills,” he said.
Roy was sworn in as Chief Minister on March 19, 2008. A year into his term on March 19, 2009, the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government consisting NCP (14), UDP (11) HSPDP (2), KHNAM (1), BJP (1) and Independents (4), was dismissed after the Congress engineered defections leading to imposition of President’s rule in May 2009 when RS Mooshahary was the Governor .
This had led to Congress forming a government under the leadership of DD Lapang on May 13, 2009, after a nearly two-month long
spell of President’s rule.
“The President’s rule to oust our Government engineered by Congress was not warranted. Everyone knows that the former Governor RS Mooshahary was a Congress agent,” Roy said. The UDP leader said that ironically, Congress now is blaming the BJP for imposing the President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh. “The Congress should remember that the party had toppled our Government in 2009. The Congress had also engineered split in APHLC in 1972 with majority of its MLAs merging with Congress”, Roy said.
According to Roy, even in 1991, the Congress used the Speaker ( PR Kyndiah) to disqualify five legislators including him resulting in imposition of President’s rule from October, 1991 to February 1992 in the state.
“Who was behind the agitation to oust the then Chief Minister and UDP leader EK Mawlong over the Meghalaya House deal in 2001 even after the cancellation of agreement?. It was the Congress and the same party was instrumental in splitting UDP at that point of time. When the Congress came into power, the same company was allotted the Meghalaya House project with double amount”, Roy said.
He also referred to the case of present cabinet minister AL Hek who contested and won from BJP after the Assembly polls in 2008. “Hek voluntary gave up his membership in 2009 to join the Congress which was in power and the Speaker was also from the Congress, but he was not disqualified though it was a fit case for disqualification, Roy added.