SHILLONG: As Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a regional ally of the BJP, exited the BJP-led coalition in Assam over the BJP-led NDA government’s stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, will the National People’s Party (NPP) do the same here in Meghalaya to distance itself from the BJP.
Meghalaya Chief Minister and president of the ruling NPP, Conrad Sangma when asked by reporters if the NPP was weighing an option of pulling out of the BJP-led NDA government now, Conrad Sangma said, “ We will see when the situation arises.”
Conrad Sangma also said that there was no confusion about the stand of the Meghalaya Government on the controversial Bill as Meghalaya Cabinet was the first one to pass a resolution to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016
When asked about the demands of the NGOs to drop BJP MLA AL Hek from the state cabinet, Conrad Sangma said that Hek in the Cabinet meeting had supported the resolution of the Meghalaya Government to oppose the Bill
“He (Hek) may be a part of BJP but has told us that protection of the indigenous people is his priority,” the Chief Minister
Asserting that there should be no Ambiguity about the stand of the Meghalaya Government on the issue, he added that the government had made it clear to the NDA govt in the Centre that it was not supporting the controversial bill
When asked what will be the action if the Central Government forcefully passes the Bill, he said, “We will see when time comes.”