Assembly rules prohibit, but UDP unfazed

SHILLONG, NOV 17: Even as Meghalaya assembly speaker AT Mondal thought it wise to maintain stoic silence on whether he will entertain any discussion on the alleged nexus of Meghalaya social welfare minister Deborah Marak with the GNLA during the upcoming assembly session, the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) however, is unfazed as it said it will find ways to raise the issue even if the Meghalaya assembly rules prohibit discussing something that is already in the court of law and thereby sub-judice.

Ever since the East Garo hills police filed a charge-sheet against the sitting Meghalaya minister Deborah Marak in the Williamnagar’s CJM court for allegedly using GNLA militants to intimidate voters to vote for her during the last assembly elections, the UDP has been bracing to take the Congress led coalition government of Mukul Sangma head-on on the alleged link of its sitting minister with militants during the forthcoming assembly session.

But there is a damper to the script of the explicitly stated intention of the UDP to put the assembly on fire by raising the politico- militant nexus as the  Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly clearly prohibits raising issue that is under adjudication by the court of law.

The Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly do not admit matter which is under the adjudication by a court of law having jurisdiction in the country.

To get clarity on the issue whether Deborah Marak and the alleged militants nexus issue will be allowed to be raise in the assembly, this reporter approach the Meghalaya speaker AT Mondal who however felt that silence on the issue would be “prudent” as an answer.

But the UDP is undeterred as its general secretary Allantry F Dkhar says that the party and its allies have strategies in dealing with the issue on the floor of the assembly. He, however,  said, “Disclosure of the strategies now will only defeat the purpose.”

Whether the opposition manages to raise the issue or not but either way the upcoming winter session of the Meghalaya assembly is not going to be cold as the heat that is likely to be generated by the opposition’s efforts to discuss the politico- militant nexus will certainly test the assembly speaker’s dexterity if the UDP carries out its explicitly stated intention.- By Our Reporter