The vehicle from which Rs 1 crore was seized belonged to Badri Rai & Construction Ltd which is handling several projects in M’laya
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 5: Congress has demanded a detailed inquiry into the seizure of Rs 1 crore from a vehicle following Conrad K. Sangma’s convoy in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday.
Vice president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress, Banphiralang Basaiawmoit told reporters on Friday that the party is in the process of filing a strong complaint with the Election Commission of India over the matter.
The cash was recovered from a Fortuner bearing Assam registration number (AS01-ET-5252). Although it was not a part of Sangma’s official convoy, the vehicle was moving closely behind.
The vehicle belonged to Harshvardhan Singh, the executive director of Badri Rai Construction Ltd which has been awarded several top-notch projects by the NPP-led MDA government, including the much-awaited Assembly building project at Mawdiangdiang and the commercial complex project at Polo.
Asking people to connect the dots, Basaiawmoit said projects such as the Assembly building and the PA Sangma Stadium are being implemented by the same firm in Meghalaya. He also pointed out that the firm is under the scanner for shoddy construction.
“The party concerned has disowned the vehicle but we firmly believe that if you connect the dots, you will find where the truth lies,” he said while stating that the MDA government in Meghalaya has allotted several works to the Badri Rai group.
Slamming the NPP leadership for not adhering to the ECI rules barring the carrying of an amount above Rs 50,000 during the MCC (model code of conduct) period, Basaiawmoit said money from corrupt practices would be used or is being utilised for election purposes.
Stating that Meghalaya is crumbling every day as people in power are flexing their muscles in whichever area they are in, he asked the authorities not to just brush the incident under the carpet and investigate the matter.
“Whether the authorities act on it or not, the people will give a slap on the face of these people flexing their muscles,” he said.
“We want to believe that a proper investigation would be done. We want the truth to come out. The public is not stupid any more,” he added.
Reacting to the seizure of Rs 1 crore, senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma sought a fair probe.
“It is common sense that the vehicle was following the convoy to escape the usual scanning. Every vehicle should be checked and convoys must be subjected to necessary checking,” he said while adding that the process of law must be swift to ensure there is no scope for destroying the evidence.
The Voice of the People Party refused to comment on the seizure of Rs 1 crore, stating that voters are intelligent enough to connect the dots and they will give a befitting reply on April 19.
Stating that the incident occurred outside the state, VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh on Friday said the question should be best answered by the person whom the car followed and the Election Commission.
“We respect the rule of the law and the due process. Let the Election Commission investigate and let the people judge and connect the dots,” he added.