Mukul threatens to write to PM for action into allegation against NPP

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 30, 2024

Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Friday threatened to write to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking action into the alleged using of illegal money from drugs and coal by the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

This came a day after deputy chief minister and NPP state president Prestone Tynsong had dared the opposition TMC to file an FIR on the allegations made by the Congress that the ruling NPP is using illegal money to poach MLAs from other political parties.

On August 16, Congress chief Vincent H Pala had accused the NPP of allegedly using illegal money collected from drugs, coal mining and contract works to finish off other political parties.

Reacting to Tynsong’s statement on the TMC’s demand for investigation into the matter, Mukul said he was only doing his job by asking both the parties (NPP and Congress) to be responsible since it is a serious allegation.

“(However), if they are not responsible, I have to write to the Prime Minister that these are the allegations and please take cognizance and take action,” the LO said while adding “Yes, I will wait and see if they don’t do then that is the ultimate course of action which will be something I considered as my responsibility.”

Mukul had pointed out that there are three allegations made by the Congress against the NPP. “One is on illegal money allegedly coming from drugs, another one is alleged money coming from illegal mining and another one manipulation of contract works.”

Stating that the issue is between the Congress and NPP and not the TMC, the LO said, “I am asking them if there have been allegations, they have to prove that the allegations are false, doesn’t he (Tynsong) understand what I mean. They have to prove that the allegations coming from the president of the MPCC, the ex-MP Vincent H Pala is wrong. They have to prove that or they have to take head on to confront him and to prove themselves that they are not, yes that’s what is how the interpretation of law will be. So I don’t get trapped by his rhetoric. It is their responsibility to prove that the allegations coming from none other than the president of MPCC is false, that’s their job.”

Asserting the need for the Centre to take cognizance of the allegations, Mukul said, “Because the issue of illegal coal mining is not a state subject, therefore Government of India also must take cognizance. Any violation of law under the section 21 of MMDR Act, 1957 is cognizable offence. So cognizable offence means cognizable offence. Who is going to act upon this mandate of law and be honest to their responsibility’s vis a vis the implementation or rather enforcement of the law. So therefore, these things are not something which should be just taken as the rhetoric coming out only for political reasons, no we take it seriously.”

“Also if you are talking about allegations of money coming from illegal drugs cartel, then you got to very careful, you are witness to the number of news items being carried by the media over instances of huge quantity of drugs being seized of and on across the North East, the value of which are in astronomical figures, not just Rs 1-2 crores, Rs 5 lakhs or Rs 10 lakhs, it is Rs 100-400 crores, that means a big cartel is operating on these and if such big cartel are operating in NE, this criminality is not confined in NE, therefore government of India have to take cognizance of this huge allegations,” he added.

According to him, “it cannot be just allegations and then the one who comes with allegations keeps quiet. If he has come up with an allegation, he also should proceed further.”