By Our Reporter
Shillong, April 11: National People’s Party (NPP) state president Prestone Tynsong on Thursday expressed pity for Shillong MP Vincent H Pala, stating that he is still a part of a broken family – Congress.
“Many of us had left the grand old party in 2018 as we were unhappy with the division in the party’s top leadership. It is sad that Pala, who is great soul, is still a part and parcel of this broken family,” Tynsong said addressing an election rally at Jowai.
He claimed the Congress has lost its ground as all its top leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, are speaking their own mind and their remarks are not in sync with one another.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at the Voice of the People Party (VPP), Tynsong said the state is witnessing a chaotic Lok Sabha election this time around because of the VPP.
“The ardent supporters of the VPP will not hesitate to shout the “Ha u Prah” slogan even in churches,” the Deputy Chief Minister said, adding that the party does not have any agenda for campaigning except for brainwashing and misinforming people.
“We should not trust a party which knows only to point fingers at others and claim they are the ones who are 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,” Tynsong said.
He said VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has not spared even church leaders as he accused them of giving alcohol to people.
Tynsong clarified that the NPP is not the team-B of the BJP.
Addressing another election rally at Umsning, he said the NPP is supporting the BJP-led NDA at the Centre in the interest of the state. He said the support could in turn ensure projects and schemes for the state’s overall development.
He claimed that a large part of Meghalaya was exempted from the purview of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) by the Centre as the NPP is a constituent of the NDA.
“The CAA is applicable to only 2 per cent of the areas in the state which are outside the Sixth Schedule area,” Tynsong said.
He said the NPP was able to convince the Centre not to implement any new laws which will be detrimental to the interest of the state and its people.
NPP demands proof of ‘buying votes’
The NPP has asked the State Congress to back their allegation with supporting evidence that the former was “buying votes”.
“These are all wild charges without evidence from the captain of a sinking ship,” NPP spokesperson HM Shangpliang said.
Stating that the allegation carries no weight, Shangpliang said, “I would like to ask Vincent Pala to provide evidence.”
Pala had recently accused the NPP of making attempts to “buy” the votes of the people.