SHILLONG, Sep 5: The National People’s Party has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as tools to silence their political rivals.
NPP national vice-president Prestone Tynsong said this while reacting to the recent remarks of BJP national vice-president in-charge of Meghalaya Dr Chuba Ao that the ED and the CBI will pursue the corruption in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance after gathering substantive evidence.
Echoing state president WR Kharlukhi’s assertion that the BJP was using the ED and CBI for political gains, Tynsong recalled that other political parties like the Trinamool Congress had also made similar accusations against the saffron party.
Reminding that the BJP is part and parcel of the MDA Government, Tynsong said the BJP’s pull-out threat was either a political gimmick by the so called high command of the BJP or may be by Ao in his personal capacity.
“The series of allegations being levelled against the NPP from time to time against the NPP is nothing but a political gimmick,” Tynsong told a section of the press.
The NPP leader made it clear that the BJP was welcome to pull out of the MDA under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma.
“I think the BJP wants to play it safe. They want to first pull out from the MDA and then bring in the ED and the CBI. But I think people will understand their mindset,” Tynsong said, while asking the BJP to stay in the coalition and let the ED and CBI carry out their probes.
Threat a farce: Pala
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala has also described the BJP’s threat of pulling out of the MDA Government as a farce aimed at fooling the people of the state.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Monday, Pala said the “flesh is long gone” in Meghalaya and the NPP and the BJP are now “fighting for the bones”.
Alleging that the BJP and NPP have looted the state far enough, he said: “BJP leaders come here and witness the level of corruption but then they make fake statements to fool the people.”
Pala was clear that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma wielded more power in Delhi than the BJP in-charge (Chuba Ao). “The BJP state president (Ernest Mawrie) is the adviser to the CM; do you think the BJP president will advise the CM to arrest its own vice-president,” Pala said.
Stating that the BJP cannot be trusted anymore since on one hand, Sanbor Shullai wants to continue as Cabinet minister while on the other hand, Hek claims there is corruption in the MDA Government. Pala surmised that the BJP’s threat was an attempt at a bargain for the release of their vice-president Bernard Marak who is currently lodged in jail.
Pala also made it clear that the BJP was underestimating the people of the state since the party will only issue threats and not act on them.
“The Meghalaya BJP is not competent enough to take such a big decision. Only the BJP leadership in Delhi can decide this and the Delhi leadership does not care about corruption in Meghalaya since they are happy that despite having only two MLAs, they are still in the government,” Pala said.
As far as the illegal coal trade is concerned, there is a share of the loot between the officials of Meghalaya and Assam. “Whatever Meghalaya allows, Assam also allows the same thing,” Pala stated.