SHILLONG, Sep 2: The Opposition Congress on Thursday submitted a petition seeking to move a resolution in the Assembly for the removal of Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh.
The resolution will be taken up during the upcoming autumn session beginning September 10.
The petition submitted to the Assembly Secretariat was signed by Congress legislators Zenith Sangma, George B. Lyngdoh, Kimfa S. Marbaniang and Himalaya M. Shangpliang.
The petition has been moved under Clause (c) of Article 179 of the Constitution and Rule 135 of the Rules and Procedure of Business in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
A Congress legislator confirmed that the party moved the resolution on Thursday since rules stipulate that a minimum of 15 days’ notice is needed for admission of such resolution in the House for discussion.
The party will deliberate on the resolution during the Congress Legislature Party meeting to be held on Friday.
Meanwhile, an Assembly Secretariat official said that Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh will examine the petition.
Cong to corner govt on police killing
In addition to the resolution being moved against the Speaker, the autumn session of the Assembly is expected to be stormy over the “encounter death” of former HNLC general secretary Cheristerfield Thangkhiew.
Senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh indicated her party intends to corner the NPP-led MDA government on the incident that triggered unrest in Shillong.
“We are keen on a debate to know the details of the incident. We hope the government allows us to discuss the issue in the House,” she said after meeting the members of Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai, an umbrella body of 11 organisations.
The meeting on Thursday was in presence of legislators Himalaya M. Shangpliang and Mayralborn Syiem.
Lyngdoh, appointed the MPCC working president a few days ago, observed that the opposition has no authority to debate on the technicalities and legalities of the entire situation.
“We are authorised to find out the sequence of the incident. Our concern is greater than just the suspension of the top police officials. We want to know how this whole thing was messed up,” she said.
The objective of debating in the House is to let make the government respond to queries related to the unprecedented killing, she said.
Lyngdoh said her party would essentially be raising the people’s doubts over the manner in which the police carried out the raid at Thangkhiew’s residence on August 13.
“We need to know if there was a lapse on the part of the police or the state government is covering up something,” she said, adding the former HNLC leader’s killing warranted a judicial probe.
Lyngdoh said the members of Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai provide some inputs on the August 13 incident.
“We learnt how the police had raided Thangkhiew’s without any warrant and without taking the Dorbar Shnong into confidence. The organisations asked why they eliminated him when he was mediating to bring the HNCL to the peace dialogue,” she said.
The Congress leader said the party would also like to know under what circumstances and conditions Thangkhiew had surrendered in 2018. She said they were given the impression that he was allowed to surrender for the talks with the banned outfit to follow immediately.
“We were also told (by the Mawlai umbrella group) that a sub-inspector is the investigating officer for the FIR filed by the members of Thangkhiew’s family against officers of the rank of SP,” Lyngdoh said.
She said the entire case was flawed from the very beginning.
“We were surprised to be informed that an SP who is traffic in-charge was roped in at the last minute to lead the police raid. The government will need to reply to this,” she said.
Congress MLA, Himalaya M. Shangpliang said that he has assured full support to the Mawlai group.
“We will speak out against the actions that were taken in Mawlai. I am with them. Justice has to be given to them,” he said.
