SHILLONG, April 15: The NPP on Monday made it clear that they will oppose any move to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Meghalaya, even though it is reflected in the election manifesto of the BJP.
Speaking at an election rally at Mawthadraishan on Monday, NPP state president Prestone Tynsong warned that some political parties will try to mislead the public that the NPP will support the implementation of the UCC since the BJP is supporting the party in the Lok Sabha election in the state.
“We have been opposing the implementation of the UCC since 2018. We have also made a statement during the budget session in the Assembly that we are against this move of the Centre,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
He also recalled that the NPP had taken the lead in engaging various political parties from the state and the Northeastern region, including pressure groups, to oppose the move to implement the CAB which it was conceptualised.
Tynsong said that the party’s national president Conrad K Sangma had even led a delegation of various political parties of the Northeast to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to oppose the CAB (now CAA).
“We managed to convince the PM and the Home Minister and the provision to exempt the CAA in areas under the three autonomous district councils of the state were incorporated,” he said.
Tynsong claimed that if the people elect NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh, it will further arm the party to push the Centre for fulfilment of pending demands like implementation of the ILP and the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule.
However, the VPP on Monday refused to buy the NPP’s argument that it would oppose the UCC despite being an ally of the BJP.
“The NPP is yet to release its election manifesto. This leads to a strong suspicion that they will be following the election manifesto of the saffron party,” VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said at an election rally in Jowai.
He urged the people to be alert since the NPP is backed by the saffron party whose election manifesto is against the interests of the indigenous population of the state.
The VPP chief also stated that his party has nothing to hide since they have already released their election manifesto on April 5.
Basaiawmoit said that the election manifesto of the BJP, which is likely to be backed by the NPP, is totally against the issues and agenda highlighted by the VPP.
