SHILLONG, Jan 9: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has criticised pressure groups for asking the state government to take all 60 legislators to New Delhi so they can step up the demand over Inner Line Permit (ILP) and stage a protest outside the Parliament if the Centre continues to buy time.
“Why should they tell us how we would go about it? A delegation is a delegation, be it of five people or ten people. Leave it to the wisdom of the government. We are also serious about it (ILP),” he said.
Stating that the Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution to urge the Centre to implement ILP in the state, Tynsong said the state government would pursue the issue aggressively.
On if ILP will be a key issue on the table when a state government delegation visits New Delhi to discuss some pending issues, he said, “Let the Chief Minister (Conrad Sangma) join. Once he is in office, he will communicate. We are waiting for him. He is likely to join by the next week,” the Deputy CM added.
During his recent visit to the state, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju had told journalists that ILP is a “political decision”. Subsequently, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) asked the CM and Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma to lead a state delegation to New Delhi and hold an agitation against the Centre’s delay in implementing ILP.
Opposition Congress Chief Whip, PT Sawkmie, had also suggested that the 60 legislators should go to the national capital and agitate.
