SHILLONG, July 23: Opposition leader Mukul Sangma on Saturday asserted there are only two political power centres in Meghalaya – one is the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) while the other is all the other parties together.
Speaking at a programme during a membership drive in Umlaper in Ri Bhoi, Sangma reiterated the MDA is a proxy BJP government, installed by the saffron party immediately after the 2018 Assembly elections. He criticised the MDA over the manner in which it handled the state’s border row with Assam.
“With regard to the areas of differences between Meghalaya and Assam, we had submitted a document in 2011 to claim back our rightful land. However, after the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the puppet MDA government simply obeyed their diktats like an obedient servant. This entire false narrative in Meghalaya is scripted by the BJP,” Sangma said.
He said when all the states in the Northeast had opposed the “draconian” Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the MDA constituents supported it instead. “We also witnessed one of the NPP MPs speaking in favour of the NRC in Parliament. Meghalaya won’t forget or forgive this,” Sangma said.
He saluted the fight put up by the SSA teachers and said, “You have seen the agony that our SSA teachers had to go through. Many others, like the ASHA workers and daily wage earners, are facing similar problems. Who is responsible?”
On unemployment, he alleged the state government had not created any jobs in the last five years. He said even the posts of primary schoolteachers have not been filled up despite the conduct of MTET.
“It is our children who are being deprived of a prosperous future,” the AITC leader said.
Party leaders George B Lyngdoh, James Lyngdoh and other leaders were also present at the programme.
George B Lyngdoh explained the meaning of Trinamool Congress, party symbol and the ethos of ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’ to the people of Mawhati. He appealed to them to strengthen the party.
The AITC’s state leadership hinted at raising the state-specific issues in Parliament.
