TURA, July 23: On-the-run MDC from Tura, Bernard R Marak has accused Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of orchestrating the raid on his farmhouse at Edenbari on the outskirts of Tura.
The raid led to the arrest of 73 persons, including revellers who had gone there.
On Saturday, the West Garo Hills Police filed a case against Marak under relevant sections of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act while claiming the farmhouse was being used as a brothel. The police also asked him to surrender to the Shillong Sadar police station.
The MDC has reportedly been evading arrest for now.
“A mature individual cannot be called a prostitute for partying and no homestay can be termed a brothel. By allowing the police to frame human trafficking/prostitution against his own voters, the CM has made this very personal,” he said in a statement.
The former A’chik National Volunteer Council (B) chairman claimed there was a twist after Friday’s raid was linked to a POCSO case in February, in which he was not an accused.
“Why should that case be linked to yesterday’s raid and innocent youths detained unlawfully?
A premeditated raid was conducted in my private farm and later at my mom’s house and all the allegations labelled are targeted to tarnish and arrest me as I have become a threat to the CM,” he said.
Marak added that the raid was conducted without a warrant and on the instructions of the CM.
“It was shocking to see a deputy commissioner and SP present during the raid, which was conducted without a warrant. In normal circumstances, it is the Excise department which conducts such raids but in my case, all protocols are violated and the farm vandalised,” he said.
The MDC claimed the minors whose studies he was sponsoring were harassed.
He said he and his family were targeted as the CM was losing political ground.
“The desperate attempt to malign my image and harass my family members and supporters is very personal in the way they took the law into their own hands. If he can have private parties at his residence with alcohol being served, why can’t another citizen be allowed to do so? This is a tribal state and eating and drinking is part of our culture,” he stated.
Marak claimed the raid had an ulterior motive of creating a negative mindset against the BJP in the state.
“BJP is raising a voice against illegal activities by the NPP and now the CM is doing everything within his power to ensure that the BJP doesn’t win a seat in Meghalaya. His divide-and-rule formula is evident,” he said.
