SHILLONG, Jan 17: The BJP has slammed the National People’s Party (NPP)-led state government for not inviting it during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Tura where she inaugurated the 5th edition of Meghalaya Games on Monday.
The BJP said the state government is getting all the benefits from the Centre in the name of the coalition but treating it as an opposition party.
“We did not get the official invitation. I am the MDC of Tura but I also did not get the official invitation. The entire BJP did not get any invitation, not even the state president,” BJP vice president Bernard Marak told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
Lamenting it, he said, “When the President is coming to Tura, which is my constituency, I should be there. I had put up a welcome banner but when we were not invited, how could we gatecrash the programme which was being looked after by the State?”
Many unelected people were invited but the elected MDCs of the BJP and the party leaders were left out, he said. Criticising this “stepmotherly” treatment, Marak said it is the NPP’s habit to always view the BJP as an opposition party, especially in Garo Hills.
“I should have been made a party to look after the event. I got the information one or two days back but what could I say when the entire event was being organised by the state government?” he said.
It was a Red-Letter Day for Tura as it finally put itself on the map of places where major sporting events have taken place. It was also a show of the town working overtime to manage its resources for ensuring that all, including the President, who came go back with happy memories.
