Congress accuses NPP as agent of BJP

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 18, 2019

SHILLONG: The opposition Congress has accused the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) of having a “pre-determined agenda” to facilitate the passage of the amended Citizenship Act.

“The NPP is the agent of the BJP here in the North East… There was a pre-determine agenda of the NPP to facilitate the passage of the CAB,” Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Mukul Sangma said.

He was speaking at a public meeting organized by the party to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at the premises of the State Central Library in the city here on Wednesday.

Mukul said the NPP made a big U-turn despite a resolution to oppose the CAB was unanimously passed by the state government along with the stakeholders including political parties and civil society organizations and submitted to the government of India (on November 30).

He said the whole world see the NPP making a big U-turn when its lone MP from Tura Agatha K Sangma extended support to the passage of the CAB to make it an Act. People were betrayed and cheated.

“Look how the people in Garo Hills reacted to this and how the chief minister Conrad K Sangma has to run away like a rat (when he was greeted by protesters on December 12),” he said.

The Congress leader also asked the regional political parties and the NGOs on whether they were informed about the NPP’s decision to change its stand on the now CAA because he has not heard them saying that they have been betrayed.

“We need to question the chief minister how you dare betrayed the people of the state,” he said.

Maintaining that the Congress will continue to oppose the amended Citizenship Act, Mukul also asserted the need for political parties to restrategize their approach to protect the indigenous communities of the state.

“Meghalaya today have become more vulnerable than any other states in the region. Therefore, in addition of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), the Inner Line Permit (ILP) should be implemented,” he said.

Stating that the Congress has not changed its stand on the issue, the leader of opposition said the MRSSA was a collective decision of all political parties and NGOs.  “We (then government) did not do it in a hurry to ensure the law protects the people with complete honesty. We have worked in such a way that the MRSSA and provisions of ILP compliment each other,” he claimed.

He also made it clear that “it doesn’t mean when we get both ILP and MRSSA that we will accept the CAA which says that all non-Muslim foreigners from the three countries will be given citizenship. The CAA should be repealed.”

The former chief minister further stressed on the need to resolve the long pending boundary dispute with Assam.

“We also need to take cognizance of those areas of differences and ensure both Meghalaya and Assam take utmost commitment to resolve this problem to ensure those areas do not become the bone of contention in the long run,” he said.

He said the Congress also demanded the Centre to extend the Sixth Schedule to the rest of the areas which are not covered under the Sixth Schedule.

Slamming the BJP and its allies for trying to divide the North East region, Mukul said the government at the Centre is full of corruption with big talks before elections.

“Because the Congress is weak, the BJP is bulldozing its way. This is the time for people to realize the importance of the Indian National Congress,” he said adding “Don’t compare the Congress with NPP also as we are committed to the people of the state.”

Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to support the government resolution in the special Assembly session to be held tomorrow.