Tura MDC Bernard N Marak met with the former Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to apprise him of supposed failures by the Congress Party and National People’s Party (NPP) in the implementation of the Agreed Text of Settlement with Garo Hills-based rebel groups.
Marak, a BJP MDC, was a leader in one of the militant groups and rejoined the mainstream in 2014 following the peace deal. It was under Rajnath’s tenure that the settlement was reached between the ANVC-B militant group, Meghalaya government and central government.
“When BJP came to power in the Centre, the agreement was signed within 6 months whereas the Congress government delayed the settlement process for more than 10 years,” Marak said in a release today. “The Congress government in the state intentionally delayed the implementation of the settlement process after signing of the agreement and now, the NPP government in the state deliberately delayed the implementation of the agreement following the footsteps of the Congress.”
These parties do not want strong autonomous district councils in the state, Marak claimed, unlike the BJP, which, he said, is committed to empowering traditional institutions.
