The Meghalaya government’s “irresponsibility” is such that either a new administration should take charge or President’s Rule be imposed in the state, opposition chief whip George Lyngdoh said today.
According to the MLA, the government has lost its moral authority following the Mukroh Massacre last week in which five Meghalayans were shot dead by Assam police.
Lyngdoh said that the government informed an all-party meeting today of several steps taken relating to the Mukroh incident but the opposition is not satisfied.
The Trinamool Congress, of which Lyngdoh is a prominent figure at the state level, is opposed to Assam instituting its own judicial commission as the atrocity was carried out on Meghalaya territory and the neighbouring state is therefore exceedings its jurisdiction. He was also concerned whether the inquiry commission constituted by Meghalaya would be able to get to the whole truth if it needs to interrogate Assam officials.
“We have demanded in front of the government that those culprits (who were involved in the shooting) should be arrested and arrest warrants should immediately be issued by the state police against those culprits because it is a murder that has been committed on Meghalaya soil,” Lyngdoh said, adding that it was disappointing that nearly a week had passed but no arrest warrants have been issued. “That sends a very soft message to the people that the government is weak in asserting its position and political authority.”
According to Lyngdoh, there have been 57 border incidents that have occurred in the past four or five years. What is alarming is that the people and the headmen of five villages had already met state government officials in the past few months and also alerted the government about the atrocities carried out by Assam, which have been increasing, not decreasing, despite the friendly words by the two governments and the ongoing border dispute resolution process.
On this, though, the Meghalaya government has been silent, the opposition legislator claimed.
