By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 19: The opposition Congress on Thursday said the Mawjymbuin cave issue and the beef ban in Assam are diversionary tactics of the NPP and its ally BJP to cover up criticisms for failing in all aspects of governance.
“These are all the gimmicks of the BJP and NPP. There are drugs all over, the economy has gone bad… they need to divert the attention of the people,” MPCC Chief Vincent H Pala said on Thursday.
He said the NGOs or religious groups raking up the cave and beef issues are controlled by the BJP.
“These are all done to divert the attention of the public as the government is being criticised. Nobody can impose anything on anybody,” he said.
“We tribals have our own culture and practices and the villages have their age-old laws that should be respected,” Pala said.
An Assam-based religious group, Kutumba Suraksha Parishad has threatened to disrupt road communication between Assam and Meghalaya if no initiative is taken to lift the ban on worship by Hindus at a cave in Mawsynram within 10 days.
Exit from KHADC alliance justified
The MPCC chief described the party’s withdrawal from the NPP-led Executive Council in the KHADC as just and fair. He slammed the UDP for doing the same when the amendment to the Sixth Schedule was under discussion.
“We were initially not with the NPP. We came in after the UDP withdrew because we did not want a situation where the administrator’s rule could be imposed in the council,” he said while reacting to criticisms that the Congress pullout was a poll gimmick.
“The UDP betrayed the public and withdrew as they did not have a sense of responsibility to help with the amendment,” Pala said.
He insisted that Congress stepped in as experienced MDCs like Ronnie Lyngdoh and PN Syiem had the public welfare in mind and defended the rights of the people.
“Once our recommendations were made and the matter was submitted to the Union Home Ministry, we withdrew. The question of political gimmick does not arise,” he said.