South Shillong MLA, cabinet minister and one of only two Bharatiya Janata Party legislators, Sanbor Shullai, is facing a wave of condemnation over the way he interrupted Speaker of the Assembly Metbah Lyngdoh while the latter was speaking at an event to welcome presidential hopeful Draupadi Murmu to Meghalaya.
Yesterday, the United Democratic Party (UDP), of which Lyngdoh is the president, met to categorically condemn Shullai, who interrupted the Speaker when he raised issues of atrocities against Christians with Murmu.
Today, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma added his note of disapproval, saying that the event was held to drum up support for Murmu (the BJP’s candidate for this month’s presidential poll) and it was inappropriate for Shullai to react in this way.
“I was there and saw what happened. It was not appropriate (to interrupt) at that point keeping in mind that the presidential candidate was present there. I had noted their (UDP leaders) concern. We will act appropriately,” Sangma said.
Sangma added that he has met Lyngdoh and assured him that action will be taken at the right time, though he declined to comment on whether it would cost Shullai his seat in cabinet.
Meanwhile, Shullai, who is not in Shillong at present, said that the way the matter was reported has been “completely misinterpreted” and he attacked his party colleague AL Hek for stabbing him in the back.
Hek is the other BJP legislator in the current Assembly and had to give up his cabinet position for Shullai based on a rotational agreement.
Shullai said that he will personally speak with the CM and Speaker on his return to Shillong and will extend an apology in case it has caused any kind of distress.
“The issue has been blown out of proportion and it came as a rude shock to me as my own party colleague, Bah AL Hek, tried to get some political mileage out of it,” Shullai claimed.
He also maintained that the event was not the right platform to bring up the subject of atrocities against Christians and the “BJP cannot be held responsible” for such acts. Murmu was present to seek support for the July 18 election and raising other issues at this meeting “was completely out of line”.
Shullai also defended his record on raising such issues with the central government. When Father Stan, who was jailed by the government on terror charges, was imprisoned, Shullai had written a letter of protest to the Centre. Fr Stan was denied bail multiple times and died in prison on July 5, 2021. His became a cause of many Christians and others who condemned what they saw as a political arrest.
In an interview with a local TV channel Hek said that the party would take up the matter. Shullai attacked Hek for this, saying that he is endorsing statements against the BJP and called for the party’s state president to take action against the Pynthorumkhrah MLA.
