SHILLONG, June 19: The unending taunt of the ruling MDA government about the passing on of a ‘legacy’ on the Opposition Congress has got the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma, distinctly hot under the collar.
In a strong response, Mukul said that the current dispensation speaks like “half-educated people”, even as he pointed out that the creation of Meghalaya is also a legacy and it is continuity of responsibility from one government to other.
Stating that governance is a continuous process, the Opposition leader said, “Now this is irresponsible strategy adopted by the current incumbent starting from chief minister to other ministers. Do they understand that this whole responsibility of the government is to shoulder the responsibility as a government not as Mr A or Mr B but government of Meghalaya?”
“This is not government of Mr A or B or it was not the government of erstwhile Mr A or Mr B it has always been Government of Meghalaya,” he added.
Trying to drive his point home, Mukul added, “If there is litigation with the state as respondent, who will represent? If these litigations continue for 20 years, who will respond and be attending on behalf of the state government?”
If the government is taking loan, “do they mean to say that this loan has been taken during Mr. A’s time and so it is not their responsibility”, he questioned.
“What is the legacy then? If they understand legacy, if you are borrowing then you should pay immediately within one or two days. Do they know that they will be in the seat after 2023?” Mukul said.
“Is it their permanent post? Why are they borrowing then? Are they not borrowing, taking decision to sell something for 30-25 years,” he said.
“They are taking the people for a ride; they are not giving the statement to Dr Mukul Sangma but to the people of the state,” Mukul Sangma added.
“Are they thinking the people of the state are novice, socially and politically? It is an insult to the people of the state,” he said.
Pointing out that on Friday there was another decision of the Cabinet to decide upon borrowing to construct, he said, “Will they pay it back from their pocket? Is it their private property and will it not be passed on to the government in succeeding years?”
The Opposition Leader asserted that this is called continuity of responsibility, which the MDA fails to understand.
“They have to read; they are talking like half-educated people and I am sorry it is nothing personal but a response to their unprofessional way of telling something to the people thinking that they are novice,” he added.
It is worth explaining here that the government has been firing back at the Opposition from time to time, be it on policy making or the crisis in the Power department, terming it as a legacy issue, which they are made to deal with after it was passed on from the then government.
