SHILLONG, Dec 3: The National People’s Party-led MDA government on Friday slammed the leaders of the Meghalaya unit of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for becoming noisier than when they were with Congress.
The AITC had on Thursday questioned the Meghalaya government’s silence on Karnataka BJP Chief Minister Basavaraj’s alleged legitimisation of the use of violence against Christians in the southern state.
“For their information, we have never been silent on such issues. Vincent Pala and I had written to the Prime Minister on the case of Father Stan Swamy,” state NPP president and Rajya Sabha member, WR Kharlukhi told The Shillong Times.
He advised the AITC to concentrate on building their party first to remain intact before the Assembly polls in 2023.
“It took us almost 20 years to reach the position we are in today,” he said.
Pointing out that the state government has been raising important issues with the Centre, Kharlukhi said the AITC should look inward before finding faults with the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
“We are doing our bit but we do not need Trinamool to tell us what to do. We know our duty and we know what we are doing,” he said.
On Basavaraj’s alleged statement, Khralukhi said: “How can anyone legitimise attack in a democracy? I do not know if the statement is true or not, but they should know we are not silent.”
Coalition partner United Democratic Party said the Karnataka CM made a political statement. “Atrocities against any community and religion will not be tolerated,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said.
Insisting the coalition partners have not been silent on issues concerning the people, he said the AITC leaders should gauge their acceptability before pointing fingers.
The Bharatiya Janata Party maintained political rivals have made it a habit of projecting the BJP as an anti-minorities party.
“The reality is that we respect all religions and believe in secularism. Our Prime Minister had recently met the Pope in Rome and invited him to visit the country,” state BJP chief Ernest Mawrie said.
Hill State People’s Democratic Party leader Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar said it was not right to blame the BJP or the Centre or the Meghalaya government for the action or comment of an individual or a group.
The leaders of other parties in the coalition government could not be contacted.