SHILLONG, Feb 10: Alleging political conspiracy against him, Congress candidate from Gambegre, Saleng Sangma on Friday vehemently denied any attempt on his party to “flee” any police check point in Garo Hills.
Speaking to The Shillong Times over the phone on Friday, Saleng said they were never stopped near 9th Mile on the outskirts of Tura.
“We keep on taking naps inside the vehicle as we were tired. We were stopped only in Gambegre when a lady officer approached me and said she wants to check the vehicle. I switched on the light of the vehicle and said she was free to check the vehicle and they were even doing the video recording,” Saleng said, reiterating that he neither did anything wrong nor attempted to run off.
Asserting that he was cooperating with the ECI teams, he said that after attending another prayer meeting, he and his escort was stopped once again. Suspecting a political conspiracy, Saleng said, “Something or the other keeps on happening with me during every elections.”
“In 2013, my house was blown up and my people were killed while in 2018, my candidate Jonathone Sangma was killed along with his gunman,” Saleng recalled.
Meanwhile, the AICC also condemned the “personal vendetta” on Saleng and demanded restoration of his personal security.
“Saleng Sangma has denied any fleeing or chasing and has demanded any video clip of the chasing, if the vigilante team has any with them,” the AICC said, while urging the state and the central Election Commission to restore his security cover owing to “increased levels of threat to his life”.
