The Congress today slammed the BJP for fielding its vice president Bernard N. Marak, who was arrested on the charge of running a brothel last year, in the assembly elections.
The BJP has fielded Marak, also a former militant leader, as its candidate against NPP nominee and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma in the South Tura constituency.
Addressing a press conference here today, Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, “How can you claim to protect women when you bring such men who exploit women to represent the people of Meghalaya? The women and children of Meghalaya want to know how you could reward the man charged under POCSO Act with a ticket?”
The police had said in July last year they rescued six minors from Marak’s farmhouse in Tura, which he allegedly used as a brothel. He was later arrested in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had claimed that Marak, who was out on bail since November, was framed by the CM.
Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani are answerable to the people of Meghalaya, Lamba said.
“Some parties have for their greed and self-interest compromised the well-being of the people and pushed the state from development to destruction,” she said.
Stating that MDA has become “Meghalaya Damaging Alliance,” she accused the Conrad Sangma government of being involved in various corruption cases.
She asserted that the NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has found that Meghalaya is the fifth poorest in the country and the poorest in the North Eastern part of the country.
Expressing confidence that the Congress will return to power in Meghalaya, Lamba said that the party is the only alternative for the northeastern state.
She said, “The NPP and their alliance partner BJP have a lot to answer to the people of Meghalaya on the high rates of unemployment. Both the NPP and BJP manifestos for 2023 have promised jobs for the youth. But what were they both doing during the last five years?”
