SHILLONG, Feb 16: The National People’s Party (NPP) tore into the Voice of the People Party (VPP), accusing its chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit of failing to engage in meaningful debates within the state assembly and resorting to grandstanding during public meetings and election campaigns.
These are mere rhetoric and empty populism, NPP leader and the KHADC’s Chief Executive Member, Pyniaid Sing Syiem said on Sunday.
In a no-holds-barred statement, Syiem questioned Basaiawmoit’s credibility as a legislator, asserting that he has repeatedly dodged the very platform meant for real political discourse.
“It is unfortunate that Basaiawmoit, the MLA from Nongkrem, cannot engage in substantive debates inside the assembly. He only speaks out against the government when he’s on the election stage or addressing public rallies,” Syiem remarked during a candidate debate in Nongthymmai.
He said this while responding to a question from a voter about why the NPP references Basaiawmoit and the NPP frequently.
Syiem said the NPP, which heads the MDA 2.0 government with 32 MLAs, is focused on governance and state development rather than empty rhetoric. He said the government does not have time for political theatrics, but there is a need to set the record straight and prevent the public from being misled by the VPP’s narrative.
Drawing from his past association with Basaiawmoit in the HSPDP, Syiem recalled how the VPP chief dismissed critical advice regarding Article 371, ignoring concerns that it could jeopardise the Sixth Schedule.
“He believed he knew better just because he was the party president, leaving the rest of us with no choice but to stay silent,” Syiem said, criticising Basaiawmoit’s rigid and unilateral leadership style.
He criticised Basaiawmoit’s conduct during the 2015 protests against the MUDA building by-laws, recalling how he and other supporters suffered injuries in clashes with CRPF personnel during the Mukul Sangma-led government.
“While we were beaten and arrested for the cause, Basaiawmoit was having tea with Mukul Sangma that very evening,” he alleged, painting a picture of a leader who abandons his followers when it matters most.
