By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, MAY 18: The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has accused Chief Minister Mukul Sangma of allegedly seeking the outfit’s support for the upcoming 2018 state elections.
“Last week, he (Mukul) had sent feelers towards our organization to support the Congress candidates in the entire Khasi and Jaintia hills for the forthcoming 2018 elections,” HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here on Thursday via email.
“We were told that if we want the peace process to start then we should support the Congress in the forthcoming elections thereby making way for another term for Mukul as a Chief Minister. Once he becomes the CM then he shall definitely take things seriously and start the peace process,” he claimed.
He added, “All the while we had communicated to the GOM for appointment of an interlocutor to push forward the peace talks. But now it’s Dr Mukul Sangma who wants to bargain with us.”
Rejecting the offer, Nongtraw said, “We are not fools, who can be used by Mukul for his political gains as he did in Garo Hills during the last assembly elections,” adding “We rather intensify our struggle than to bargain with Dr Mukul.”
He also said that the outfit also wished to make it clear that in future any feelers sent by the state government should be free of any political manipulations.
Predicting Mukul’s downfall, the outfit leader said, “Dr Mukul is not the sole proprietor of Meghalaya. He is only the CM for a specified timeframe. His downfall is very near. Dr Mukul Sangma’s selfishness, arrogance and pride shall become the main reasons for his downfall.”
The outfit also alleged that the chief minister is only a representative of Ampati constituency and does not care about the people of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills adding there are many underdeveloped areas in Garo hills but his main concern is to pull in all developmental activities and projects in Ampati.
Maintaining that the HNLC neither supports any political party nor their ideologies, Nongtraw however said any party which uplift the people, empower them and bring in development activities should carry on their work with honesty and integration.
He said that the earlier the outfit had a lot of hope on the chief minister as a dynamic leader. “After this selfish and manipulative feelers of Dr Mukul, we do not have any hope nor respect for him,” he added.
Meanwhile, the HNLC also issued a strong warning against any unscrupulous people from misusing the name of the outfit during elections under the diktat of Sangma, he said.
When contacted for their immediate reaction to the allegations levelled by the HNLC, both deputy chief minister R.C. Laloo and home minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh were not available as their mobile phones were unreachable.
The chief minister, on the other hand, is reportedly still in Belgium.
+ There are no comments
Add yours