Shillong, Feb 16: As she has shifted her position from the Opposition Bench in the State Assembly to the Treasury Bench, so has her stand on the alleged illegal coal mining and trade in Meghalaya.
Once known for her vociferous stand against illegal coal mining in the state in her capacity as a sitting Congress MLA and a leader of the Opposition party in the state, the suspended Congress legislature Ampareen Lyngdoh today refused to comment on the illegal coal mining citing that being an MLA representing an urban constituency (East Shillong) she is not privy to the issue.
Lyngdoh, along with the other four Congress MLAs, recently joined the ruling MDA coalition led by the NPP. All five of them were subsequently suspended from the Congress party by the AICC as their decision to join the MDA had no prior approval of the party high command.
Her refusal to make a statement on coal mining came a day after the former Chief Minister and AITC leader Dr Mukul Sangma had alleged that illegal mining was rampant in the state. He also claimed to have obtained evidence of illegal mining and transportation of coal in Garo Hills.