Pala accuses UDP of using illegally earned money to buy MLAs

SHILLONG, Oct 21: The battle of words between Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent Pala and UDP leader and Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui took another turn on Friday when the former accused the latter’s party of using “money earned from illegalities” to buy Congress MLAs.
“Even the High Court has observed that there is lawlessness, drug abuse, illegal coal trade, illegal timber business and illegal check gates,” Pala said, adding that the MDA has been the most corrupt in the history of the state.
He claimed said that the coalition parties take money from transporters even for implementation of the mid-day meal scheme.
Pala, however, did not substantiate his claim.
“After I joined as MPCC chief, some from the Congress quit and joined the UDP because they had been purchased with the money the UDP got from all these illegalities,” Pala said, while asking the Home Minister to react to these allegations rather than questioning the Congress.
On Rymbui’s prediction that the Congress will dip further under Pala’s leadership, the latter said, “It will be seen after the elections since the corrupt (people) have left the Congress and now the party has been infused with young blood.”
On Thursday, Rymbui had made a blistering attack on Pala stating that the latter has reduced the grand old party to “zero” in the state through sheer mismanagement.
Rymbui asked the Congress leader to introspect why all his colleagues ran away as soon as he returned to state politics.
Prior to this, Pala had accused the UDP and the Home Minister of facilitating drug cartels.