Demand to activate official spokesperson
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Editors’ and Publishers’ Association (MEPA) and Shillong Press Club (SPC) have petitioned Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on the behaviour of Home Minister, James Sangma, who is also his brother.
In separate letters to the chief minister, MEPA and SPC narrated the incident involving journalists and James which resulted in media persons seeking apology from the home minister.
The SPC has complained that over the years, James has been the most inaccessible minister, even during the most challenging times that the state went through.
“His behaviour, to sum up in one word is downright ‘arrogant’, thereby tarnishing the entire image of your government which projects itself as a people-friendly and accessible government”, the SPC stated.
The press also spoke about the need of appointing an official spokesperson of the state government that would help bridge the information gap especially information wanted by the press fraternity on various issues concerning the state and its people from time to time.
MEPA also stated that James is a minister in-charge of various departments and also the fact that he is the official spokesperson of the MDA government, it is the duty of the journalists to meet him to get the version of the government on various issues. In this connection, MEPA sought the CM’s intervention CM hoping that he would take necessary measures to de-escalate the situation by directing the erring minister to apologise for the incident which will help in restoring a cordial relationship between the government and the media fraternity in the state.