Cabinet minister Hamletson Dohling delivered the sharpest words yet on the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Shillong, describing the visitor’s refusal to meet with the government on the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as “unacceptable”.
“Words can’t describe how I felt about the unacceptable attitude of the Union Home Minister towards the state cabinet and others during his recent visit,” Dohling told reporters today.
Shah had paid a one-day visit to the state capital to address the plenary session of the North Eastern Council on January 23. Although members of the Meghalaya government and pressure groups had hoped to discuss the ILP issue with Shah, the latter could not hold a proper discussion with any of them ostensibly due to his tight schedule.
“It came as a shock to us when we learned that Shah would not give us an opportunity to talk on the ILP and all of us were left very unsatisfied,” the Soil and Water Conservation Minister said.
Shah had, reportedly, welcomed ministers to discuss the matter with him at a later date in New Delhi. The government is hopeful that the Union minister will provide some time during the current Budget Session of Parliament. The Congress Party has not shied away from heavily criticising Shah’s apparent snub to the government while senior members of the government have, so far, sought to look on the bright side.
“Shah’s silence is not acceptable and we want to hear whether the central government will give us ILP or not so that we know what to do,” Dohling said.
