SHILLONG, NOV 1: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of vitiating the environment of the country’s democracy by sending union ministers to speak ills against the states including Meghalaya, which is going for fresh poll next year.
The chief minister even challenged for a bet that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will get “zero” in the upcoming 2018 state Assembly elections.
Sangma was hitting out at the Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, for his alleged failure to inform the chief minister as per convention about his visit to the state despite his travel cost being borne from the public exchequer.
Kannanthanam, who was also appointed as BJP in-charge of Meghalaya elections, had recently visited the state and even accused the chief minister of stealing money of the people of the state.
“How can a union minister come and speak like any other persons. This is something which is unbecoming of a minister and prime minister should take note of this and should stop all this exercise. Let him sent other party leaders. Why is he sending union ministers, to go and speak against the states? Is this what the state-centre relationship should be in this country in such a massive and larger democracy of the world? They are vitiating the environment of our democracy. The federal structure is being undermined,” Sangma told reporters here at the sidelines of a function held in the city on Wednesday.
Stating that this only reflected their complete “immaturity” in governing this great nation, he said, “You just look at their allegations what has that UP CM says about Kerela trying to teach Kerela about to have better healthcare facilities…so this is their quality okay. Whether it is, who is this BJP in-charge… Alphons… I don’t remember the name because I have never heard this name before you know.”
Sangma further stated why has he (Alphons) been posted here? A union minister of tourism coming to Shillong or going anywhere, the travel cost being borne by fund from public exchequer but he had not seen any official programme sent to him.
“A union minister when coming to state should send one letter to chief minister first, tell what is the programme he is having and after that if he wants to meet his party leaders’ okay fine,” he said.
Citing as per convention, the chief minister said that the union minister coming to the state will also try to call on the chief minister because that is the usual and whole tradition and convention between the state and centre government’s relations.
Slamming the union tourism minister for this, Sangma said, “Now how is it possible for union ministers to actually try and malign a state government when they should come and really find out what is the real fact? A minister has to come and find out what is the fact and that is the constitutional mandate for the minister.”
Asked how many seats he thinks the BJP will get in the upcoming elections, the chief minister was apt in giving his reply by saying “zero”.
“Yes I am telling you zero, you want to bet I will bet now,” he stated.
By Our Reporter
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