Following criticism over the Rs 1 crore cash seizure made in Arunachal Pradesh, NPP Meghalaya president Prestone Tynsong today said that the opposition parties are raising the issue for political advantage.
Tynsong said that it was already made very clear that the vehicle and the person that was detained in connection with the cash had nothing to do with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
“There are unending allegations. So my clarification is very clear. I would like to say that this seizure made by officials of the Election Commission doesn’t belong to the Meghalaya Chief Minister and also the national president of NPP,” Tynsong clarified.
“Accusing Conrad Sangma of looting Meghalaya and investing in Arunachal Pradesh is wrong. I would like to inform the citizens that it never happened and we won’t allow it to happen,” he added.
It may be recalled that a flying squad of the Election Commission on April 4 recovered Rs 1.25 crore in cash from a car travelling in the convoy of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma who was travelling to Longding in Arunachal Pradesh to address a public rally for his party candidate.
Superintendent of Police of Longding, Dekio Gumja told media persons that the Election Commission teams recovered the cash from the car belonging to a construction company at the Kanubari check gate.
Sangma was travelling in a convoy to Longding to speak at an election rally for his party when he was followed by a car that belonged to one Harshvardhan Singh, executive director of Badri Rai & Company.
The construction company, whose projects are being undertaken at three locations in the area – Sonari Medical College in Assam, Brigade Headquarters at Khonsa in Arunachal’s Tirap district, and Assam Police Battalion in Sivasagar, claimed that the money was taken to pay labourers.
The company won many government contracts in Meghalaya which included construction of the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang and other projects in Garo Hills.
