Mukul accuses Meghalaya CM of having close association with a drug kingpin from Mizoram

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 19, 2023

Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday accused the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of having a close association with a ‘drug kingpin’ from Mizoram.

Participating in a motion related to drug menace issue in the Assembly, Mukul said Henry Lalremsanga, who was arrested on April 23, 2013 in connection with the seizure of Rs six crore worth banned pseudoephedrine tablets, is one of the close associates of none other than the chief minister Conrad K Sangma.

He went on to table a photograph and said, “This is the photograph of the chief minister (along with) his wife and Mr Henry in one of the very high profile programs in Delhi.”

“I have to advise the chief minister to avoid association with this man. Is he aware of this fact?” Mukul asked while adding “This is a high profile event in Delhi. So I tried to find out how he (Henry) managed to find a space in this kind of high-profile event, shared the same table, then I was informed that this sitting arrangement was requested by the CM’s Office.”

The former chief minister said the media report read that Henry Lalremsanga was described as the kingpin of the gang. He was arrested along with the son of a former Congress MLA

“He was coming from Mizoram and is involved in illegal trade along with Arvind Ahuja, the son of the former MLA Ashok Ahuja, and his driver Manish who were arrested yesterday from the capital with 2,51,680 strips of pseudoephedrine tablets. According to the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), the trio allegedly supplied pseudoephedrine based tablets in Mizoram and other states of North-East India and Myanmar,” he further quoted the media report.

Stating that the fight against the drug menace has become an important responsibility for all of them, Mukul however said, “Therefore, we have to be careful of who we are associating with. Therefore, we cannot behave like young boys and girls, who cannot carve out our ways from old buddies, who might already have gone astray and (whether) this connection may be misused by them or not otherwise the chief minister of our state will unnecessarily be subjected to that different kind of scrutiny.”

“I am happy that I am able to bring this to the notice of the chief minister, let him go through, let him scan and I will advise and give my suggestion and submission through you Mr Speaker Sir we have to ensure that we de-link our connection with these people. Therefore, when a person is alleged to have been the kingpin, therefore, let us be wise,” he added.

Asserting the need for a more aggressive campaign against the drug menace issue, the AITC leader said this declaration (war against drugs) has become a national declaration and is not only in respect of the State of Meghalaya.

“This government is also equally committed. Therefore, we cannot shrug away from our responsibility, let it be taken in right earnest and sincerity and please do not get offended for alerting the dispensation,” he concluded his statement.