SHILLONG: The state Congress leaders have dared the regional parties to withdraw support to the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.
The leaders were speaking at a public meeting organised by the Sohiong and Mawsynram Block Congress Committees to oppose the citizenship bill at Sohiong on Saturday.
HM Shangpliang, who is the MLA from Mawsynram and general secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), criticised the regional parties — United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and People’s Democratic Front (PDF) — for working together with the NPP.
“Why are you working together with a party (NPP) which is with the BJP? If you love the people, I request regional parties to come out and organise public meetings to make people aware and come out from the MDA government,” he said.
Commenting on the NPP-BJP bonhomie, East Khasi Hills District Congress Committee chief Kennedy Khyriem said, “NPP-BJP bhai-bhai. Where are the regional parties? India is a democracy not a religious country.”
The two leaders again stirred up the issue of work permit to Bangladeshis mooted by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma last year.
“NPP wanted to give permit to Bangladeshis and here Modi wants to grant citizenship,” Khyriem said.
Shangpliang pointed out that unemployment is high in the state and social organisations are agitating against influx but the chief minister wants to grant work permit to Bangladeshis.
Speaking about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Shangpliang said bringing the bill is a “dangerous intent” of the BJP to transform India into a “Hindutva state”.
Being an MLA from the border areas, the MLA claimed that Bangladeshis who would trade in the border village of Dangar are overjoyed at granting of citizenship to Bangladeshis.
CAB: Top LS agenda
With the Centre making all attempts to push for implementation of the bill, the MPCC general secretary said the issue of CAB will occupy the top agenda in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Recently at a meeting in Delhi, we spoke about the Manifesto Committee wherein we decided to keep the CAB as the top agenda,” Shangpliang said.
