By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 8: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Monday dared Pyniaid Sing Syiem, the Chief Executive Member of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, to substantiate his charge that the leaders and the members of the party are engaging in creating problems and unrest.
VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said the party has taken strong cognisance of the remarks of Syiem “who has been forcefully installed by the state government”.
“We would like to know where we have created a situation. We will not accept if people try to defame the party with the intention to create confusion in the minds of the public,” he said.
According to him, the National People’s Party (NPP) has apparently given up its hope on winning the Shillong parliamentary seat.
“Therefore, the only way is to destroy the VPP’s image. We will not remain silent but write to an appropriate authority to probe this allegation made by the KHADC CEM,” Basaiawmoit said.
The NPP, meanwhile, continued its attack on the VPP, slamming it for allegedly trying to brainwash and misinform people.
“We should not trust a party which knows only to point fingers at others and claims it is the one which is clean and honest. If the VPP leaders are claiming to be the saviour of the community, then they should be ready to speak the truth,” NPP state president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told people addressing an election rally at Mairang on Monday.
Stating that it is only the NPP-led MDA government which had the courage to take up the Them Metor (Harijan Colony) issue, he asked Basaiawmoit what he has done in his two terms as an MLA.
“You were sleeping like a fox during your term as an MLA. Who are engaged in cheap politics to hit out at a party which is making efforts to resolve the pending issues of interstate boundary (dispute) and Them Metor?” Tynsong said.
He questioned Basaiawmoit for advocating the abolition of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) which are institutions to safeguard the customary practices and cultures of the state’s indigenous communities.
“We wanted to strengthen the ADCs further. But sadly, the VPP chief wanted to weaken the traditional institutions which are the foundation of our grassroots governance,” Tynsong said.
He took a dig at Basaiawmoit for advocating that people should use father’s surname in the matrilineal society.