SHILLONG, May 30: The Meghalaya government has hit back at Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, dismissing his allegations of state-sponsored syndicates enabling illegal coal trade and drug trafficking as nothing more than pre-election theatrics.
Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh described Gogoi’s accusations as classical electioneering, stating that with Assembly polls approaching, political rivals in Assam were bound to indulge in mudslinging.
He said he was not surprised by the remarks, as both major contenders for power in Assam—BJP and Congress—would stoop to making sweeping allegations against each other.
Lyngdoh accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Gogoi of using Meghalaya as ‘collateral damage’ in their high-stakes political feud.
He asserted that Meghalaya had become a convenient target simply due to its geographical proximity, adding that once the elections are over, a dramatic shift in tone from the Assam leadership would be inevitable.
The sharp response from the MDA came after Gogoi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA governments in both Assam and Meghalaya.
He alleged that rampant illegal coal mining and narcotics trafficking were being facilitated by politically protected syndicates, and called for a CBI investigation into the twin crises.
Gogoi had pointed to findings by the Enforcement Directorate, which, according to him, revealed that a cross-border syndicate involving individuals from both states was manipulating documents to allow trucks carrying illegal coal to pass through the Meghalaya-Assam border without resistance.
He insisted that people in power were complicit in the racket and demanded an independent probe by the central agency.
