SHILLONG, Oct 6: The excessive use of force by police personnel on unarmed LP school teachers who were demanding reinstatement seems to have put Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui in a spot of bother with his party men from the United Democratic Party (UDP) urging their president – Metbah Lyngdoh – to get Rymbui dropped from the Cabinet.
Requesting anonymity, a senior UDP leader told The Shillong Times on Thursday that the “party leaders were infuriated and angry at what happened today and we would like to urge the president of the party to drop the Home Minister (Rymbui)”.
The UDP leader termed the incident as unfortunate and uncalled for and said there was no need to use excessive force against the protesting contractual teachers.
On being asked about the demand to drop Rymbui from the Cabinet, the UDP leader confirmed that the rank and file of the UDP is unhappy with the incident and has urged the party president to take appropriate action to get Rymbui dropped from the Cabinet.
Besides the Home portfolio, Rymbui also holds charge of Education, Border Areas Development and District Council Affairs departments.
It may be recalled that Rymbui had tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in August last year following massive backlash over the killing of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew during a pre-dawn police raid on his residence at Mawlai Kynton Massar locality on August 13.
The CM had refused to accept Rymbui’s resignation.
In November last year, the SSA teachers had asked the CM to sack the Education Minister (Rymbui) due to the failure of the department to release their salaries which had been pending for six months.
