Ex CM on CM-ultras nexus: Kite-flying

***Former chief minister and State Planning Board (SPB) chairman SC Marak shaking hand with AICC Secretary in-charge of Meghalaya Dr Vijaylaxmi Sadho at Hotel Pinewood on Wednesday***

SHILLONG, JAN 22: Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma finally found respite on Wednesday when his senior party colleague and former chief minister Salseng C Marak and the Shillong Lok Sabha MP Vincent Pala stoutly defended him by saying that the allegation of the chief minister having a nexus with the militant outfit ANVC(B) is some sort of kite flying.

Sangma has been under attack from the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) and the National People’s Party (NPP) ever since the ANVC (B) political secretary Ajaju Marak, who has reportedly left the organization, revealed on December 28 last year that the chief minister had used the them to catapult himself to the post of the chief minister during the last assembly term.

The UDP has even met President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday and demanded a CBI inquiry int the allegation.

However Salseng C Marak gave a clean chit to chief minister Mukul Sangma by saying that such allegations should be substantiated with evidence. He told reporters on Wednesday at Pinewood Hotel, “The allegations will be some sort of a kite-flying, if they cannot prove by bringing up evidences.”

Marak felt that the best way for those who are alleging that Sangma had nexus with militants is to prove the allegations that they have made. He said, “How they can prove, it is up to them.”

Echoing similar views, MP Vincent Pala said that allegations should be substantiated with proves and just believing in such allegations will not lead anywhere. Pointed out that there were conflicting statements by the ANVC (B) members, he wondered why they have not made the allegations before.

Pala said, “I know him (CM) for the last 10-15 years and he is not that type of man to have nexus with such groups.”

Answering a query, Pala however said is not supporting such politician and militant outfits nexus at all. He felt that if politicians are having nexus with militant groups, it will not be good for the state and the country

Commenting on the UDP demand for CBI probe, Pala said that as UDP and Congress are rivals, the opposition will try and derive benefits from such allegations even if it is not true. – By Our Reporter