Paul accuses BJP, Cong of creating B’deshi vote bank

SHILLONG: Senior United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Paul Lyngdoh has accused both BJP and Congress of pushing Banglaldeshi Muslims and Hindus into the country, including the North East, for their vote bank and simultaneously asking regional parties to come together and fight for preserving the ethnic identity of the indigenous people.
Lyngdoh, who is a former KSU leader, said the present situation calls for rethinking by regional forces on coming together as they need to put up a united front against the invasion of national parties in the state and the region.
“The Congress has always been pushing for its Muslim Bangladeshi vote bank while BJP is trying to counter it by pushing Bangladeshi Hindus vote bank and in this situation, it is the regional and state-based political parties which will have to fight for preserving the ethnic identity of the indigenous people,” Lyngdoh, who is also the former MLA of West Shillong, said.
Recalling that UDP had taken an initiative to unite political parties and he took the leader by merging KHNAM with the UDP, Lyngdoh maintained that the stand of the UDP and the alliance of the partners are in convergence as far as opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
“As of now, let’s leave things at that but we will take a call depending on how the situation changes and things shape up in future,” he added.