By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 7: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the opposition VPP for skipping the all-party meeting convened by the government to deliberate on the reservation policy issue, even as it stressed that democratic and constitutional platforms should be fully utilised to address public concerns.
Sangma said he was disappointed that the VPP, which had strongly raised the reservation issue and projected itself as deeply concerned about the matter, chose not to attend the meeting despite having demanded broader discussions on the issue.
Sangma said the Expert Committee was constituted following demands raised by opposition parties on the floor of the Assembly and pointed out that the all-party meeting was called to deliberate on the report and discuss the future course of action.
According to the CM, all political parties attended the meeting except one party, which later informed the government through a letter that it could not attend because of “other pressing engagements”.
He remarked that political leaders must “walk the talk” and demonstrate commitment through actions rather than mere statements. He added that if political parties truly care about the people and the land, they should show it democratically and constitutionally.
Condemning the VPP’s style of raising issues through public mobilisation rather than primarily within the Assembly, Sangma underscored the importance of parliamentary democracy and constitutional institutions.
