Shillong, Dec 2: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma said that Assam’s Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member (CEM), Tuliram Ronghang should not have made such a statement of terming the Khasi-Pnar inhabitants of Mukroh as “illegal settlers”.
“These kinds of statements should not have been made. We do not appreciate these statements at this point of time when we are having challenges. These statements don’t help the situation at all,” Sangma said while speaking to reporters here on Friday.
He further informed that he had direct talk with the Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma who also felt that this kind of remarks should not be made by the KAAC CEM.
According to him, what is important is that there will be individuals and people from different levels who will keep making statements from both sides.
“These statements should not be looked at as a stand of any government. All the statements being made by others are made at their level and this is something which I do not want to comment too much,” Sangma.
He said that the discussion on the boundary dispute should be at the Chief Minister’s level and at the Home Minister’s level.
“The stand of the two Chief Ministers is the official stand of the two governments,” Chief Minister added.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition and Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator, Dr. Mukul Sangma on Thursday asked the state government to register a criminal case against Ronghang for inciting violence.
The KAAC chief had claimed that the Khasi-Pnar villagers living at Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills district bordering Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district are “illegal settlers”.
“It is an incitement; it is instigation to people who are empowered with the so-called authority, that is what is emboldening their law enforcing agencies. So a case must be registered by the Meghalaya government for inciting this kind of lawlessness,” the former Chief Minister had said.
