Ex-Nongkrem MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit today said that it is unacceptable that the State government punishes members of the public for small offences but lets those behind illegal coal mining and transportation go scot-free.
“The statements made by the Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong, that police are just humans and that cannot tackle illegal coal mining in totality are worthless. If this is the case, then why is the public harassed and penalised for small things like parking offences? They are also just humans and should be pardoned,” he said at a press conference regarding his Iada la Ka Ri (Protect the Land) movement here.
“I want all of the public to take note and judge these statements made by our political leaders so that we can also respond to them hard when the time is right (at the ballot box),” he added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the brief visit of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, which was devoid of any mention of the Inner Line Permit or of a proper meeting with representatives of the government, Basaiawmoit said, “If our state leaders had really discussed ILP in Delhi with Amit Shah (on previous occasions), it would not be so hard for Shah to just say a sentence on ILP during his visit here.”
The former MLA said the people of the state need to be united and show their strength so that they “will not be looked down on” by people like Shah, whose visit, Basaiawmoit added, was “very ill-mannered”.
