TURA, Dec 8: In what can be termed as a rap on the knuckles for those party leaders who have been going public with allegations of corruption in the GHADC, newly appointed BJP in-charge of Meghalaya and National Vice President M Chuba Ao played it down saying here today that he would rather discuss the matter first with the chief minister.
“The district council is a constitutional body and such matters should be first taken up with the chief minister of the state. Thousands of allegations can always be made but it should be backed up with evidence. I will first discuss the matter with the chief minister,” clarified M Chuba Ao.
It may be mentioned that several sitting MDCs had joined the BJP, last year, and made unsuccessful bids to bring down the NPP led alliance executive committee led by chief executive member Dipul Marak. They had alleged widespread corruption of central funds running into several crore rupees.
With the GHADC having expired its five-year term and the Covid-19 pandemic pushing the next council polls to 2021, a large number of aspirants for the BJP ticket have been making a beeline to the national party.
“It is too early to decide on the number of seats we will contest and currently no commitment has been made to any aspirant for tickets. My visit to Tura was to prepare our party workers, mandals and others for the upcoming elections,” said the national vice president of the BJP.
‘Misconception about BJP being anti-Christian’
The new party leader put in charge of Meghalaya and national vice president, M Chuba Ao, has said that there is a lot of misconception about his party being anti-Christian and this issue is being addressed.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Ao said that opponents of the BJP have always given out the wrong impression about his party indicating it to be against Christians.
“There is a misconception about the BJP being anti-Christian and we are addressing the issue. In Fact I explained the matter and clarified it during my meeting on Tuesday with the Bishop of Tura, Andrew Marak. It was a brief discussion and the bishop was happy with the interaction,” said Ao.
Both Ao and Meghalaya Health Minister AL Hek, a Catholic himself, went to Bishop House in Tura to call on Bishop Andrew Marak.
“Our visit was a courtesy call and we sought his (Bishop) prayers and blessings,” added Hek.
Another meeting with the general secretary of the Garo Baptist Convention (GBC) could not materialise as the church leader was undergoing quarantine as part of the Covid protocol, said Ao.
When it was pointed out to the national vice president about a recent threat issued by a Bajrang Dal leader in Assam who warned Hindus from participating in the upcoming Christmas celebrations, Chuba Ao said that it will have to be taken up with the Bajrang Dal leadership.
“Someone had mentioned the incident but I haven’t received a detailed report. If it is true then it will need to be brought to the notice of the Bajrang Dal leadership,” he mentioned.
The national vice president was felicitated by the party leaders and workers from Garo Hills during his visit to the BJP office on the outskirts of Tura.
“We met with the district presidents of the five districts of Garo Hills, the mandal committees, the Mahila and Yuva Morcha leaders. I told them that our priority is solely development and people participation at the grass root level is very important,” informed Chuba Ao.
Praising the hard work of the farmers of Garo Hills, he said that lack of marketing is failing the cultivators and this would be taken up with the state.
