Gokhale asks Meghalaya Govt to come clean on implementation of ecotourism development project

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 14, 2022

The national spokesperson of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Saket Gokhale on Tuesday said he would respond to the defamation suit filed by the government of Meghalaya against him in court.

“The Deputy CM has said that I am a psycho. Psychos are doing unpredictable things so I will respond in court whichever way I have to respond,” Gokhale told reporters after a party meeting.

Stating that he had filed a counter suit against the deputy chief minister for his derogatory remark, Gokhale however said, “but look who will file a defamation suit against this government for defaming the state of Meghalaya.”

He alleged that the defamation suit filed by the state government was just to intimidate because they have no explanation to give.

On December 10, the government of Meghalaya through the Meghalayan Age Limited had filed a criminal defamation against the AITC leader for alleging irregularities in the implementation of the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project.

Stating that such suits do not scare the AITC, Gokhale said, “I have spent the last entire week in a lock-up in Gujarat. These kind of petty tactics don’t scare me, the government is scared, the chief minister is scared and there will be more to come as far as not just Meghalayan Ages goes but corruption in different departments of this government, they will have to give an answer.”

He continued challenging the government and said: “I’m happy to submit myself to Tynsong for a psychological evaluation, if in return he agrees to come and sit down and have a debate and not going to corner as coward. Have some guts and come sit down for a debate if you have done nothing wrong, but if you’re a thief you are defaming the state of Meghalaya. I will defame because you for defaming the people of Meghalaya, you are looting from the people of Meghalaya. Thieves have no reputation, there is no question of defaming a thief.”

When asked, the AITC spokesperson said he has enough documents to substantiate the allegations.

“At the end of the day, the government is accountable to the people, the opposition as well the people of Meghalaya.

Accountability should be demanded from the government of Meghalaya and this government is scared of accountability since months we have been asking for a debate, we have been highlighting issues and they don’t answer to the press, they don’t answer to the opposition. The government should be asked, come out clean, tell us what happen to the Chinese meters, tell us what’s happening in MeECL, tell us what’s happening in Meghalayan Age, they don’t want to give me the answers,” he said.

Meanwhile, AITC leader also dared the chief minister Conrad K Sangma to resign before election if his government has committed the wrong.

“If you have guts, come out clean we will sit down and we will have a debate, if we are wrong file a suit and if you are wrong resign before election,” he said.

 “Because the super CM of Meghalaya Dr. Vijay has been clearly implicated this time as to why this government has gotten so scared, so the chief minister is trying to protect the super CM which is quite sad. That there is one super CM sitting in Guwahati and there is one IAS super CM sitting and the chief minister is taking orders from them directly,” Gokhale further alleged.