Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong rubbished reports that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had told a delegation of the Meghalaya government that the state has to choose between the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Sixth Schedule.
Earlier this month Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Tynsong had met Shah in New Delhi and discussed the ILP and Meghalaya Residents Safety Security Act (MRSSA).
In response to a news report in a vernacular daily today, Tynsong said, “During our meeting with Shah we had requested him to give time to civil society organisations who want to meet him.” He denied that Shah had made the comment that Meghalaya would have to choose between the ILP and the Sixth Schedule exceptions grated to the tribal-majority state.
According to today’s report, Shah had allegedly said that the state already has protections in the form of the Land Transfer Act, Residents Safety and Security Act and that Sixth Schedule areas are exempt from the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.
Shah is next scheduled to visit Meghalaya in March.
