SHILLONG: After initially threatening to pull out from the MDA government over alleged corruption in JHADC and GHADC, the state BJP has now taken a U-turn, maintaining that it has not taken any stand to withdraw from the ruling alliance.
Informing this after a meeting of the core committee of the party here on Friday, state BJP president, Ernest Mawrie said the party had only withdrawn its support from the executive committees in JHADC and GHADC, but not taken a stand in regard to withdrawing from the MDA so far.
The BJP had earlier claimed to have discussed the idea of pulling out from the MDA with its central leadership and was awaiting necessary directives in this regard.
The party however reiterated their demand for a CBI probe into the allegations of corruption in the two district councils even as the government has asked the director, local fund audit (DLFA) to conduct a detailed inquiry into the utilisation of funds received by JHADC and GHADC under the Special Grant Assistance (SAG).
“The government has done its job by ordering a probe but we want a CBI inquiry,” Mawrie said.
On the move of the party to file RTIs, he said the party workers in Jaintia Hills have already filed RTI in regard to the alleged corruption in JHADC while members of the party from Garo Hills have already filed a complaint with the CBI over alleged corruption in GHADC.
Asked if the party had a consensus over its stand for a CBI probe, Mawrie claimed that the party was united on the matter, right from the state office-bearer level to the mandal level.
Asserting that the party wanted their two MLAs to politically take up the matter with the state government, he further defended the move of the party to bypass the coordination committee of the MDA government and expose the corruption before the media.
“I was appointed as the president of the party on February 14 and till date they have not invited me to the meeting of the coordination committee and I don’t even know if there is a forum,” he said, while adding that the party wants the MDA government to follow the dharma of coalition and respect the party as a coalition partner in the MDA.
Reiterating that he has apprised the chief minister of the rampant corruption in the two district councils, he said it was the wisdom of the chief minister to have called him for discussions on the matter.
The state BJP chief maintained that the party would not allow corruption to take place anywhere.