Shillong, Sept 20: Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma on Wednesday decided to expunge the speech made by AITC legislator and former CM, Dr Mukul Sangma, on Tuesday, in which he had accused chief minister Conrad K Sangma of having close ties with a person from Mizoram who had been arrested in New Delhi 10 years back with drugs.
The Speaker stated that the House has been known to be a very disciplined house across the entire country so they should not engage in this house as calling names and making allegations without substantiated evidence.
“I have examined the matter referring to rule 279a… allegations are on this rule… no allegations or defamatory… Under Rule 304, which gives the Speaker the power to expunge the speech… based on all this if any doubts arises the decision of Speaker shall be final so therefore I expunge the speech made by Dr Mukul Sangma as it is violative of 279a …” the Speaker said.
The ruling of the Speaker came after deputy chief minister in-charge parliamentary affairs Prestone Tynsong requested that Mukul’s statement be expunged. Tynsong requested the member from Songsak to refrain such kind of reference based on a ‘photograph’.
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Defending the intend of his submission made during a discussion on a motion yesterday, Mukul said that the deputy chief minister has misinterpreted the basic intend of the submission.
“The person concerned whose name was reflected in the national media was an alleged accused and not convicted. I have not made an allegation of any substantive crime having been committed by referring to what was reflected in the photograph… I have made my submission saying that we got to be careful, we got to be cautious as to whom we associate while we occupying office of position, office which is constitutionally empowered,” he said.
He further said that photograph is an official photograph in the social media page of the organizer and a sitting arrangement officially made in the front row and it is not by default that somebody had taken a selfie, adding he had raised the issue because unprecedented availability of drugs in the state really concerns him.
“The person is associated with the CM and it is my duty to alert my CM because he is holding the responsibility,” he said while maintaining that he has not accused the CM and that his statement does not require to be expunged from the proceedings of the House.
He also assured to follow proper procedure to ensure a decision is taken on the matter.
Expressing concern that his name was dragged into unnecessary arguments, chief minister Conrad K Sangma asked the AITC leader to bring out the fact of the case. “Let the member (Mukul) bring out the fact of the case, when this case happened, what is the status of this case right now,” he said.
“Our point is if you are going to connect two dots wherever you wish and suits you and draw a picture of that and then bring it in the House then just misguide everybody that is what we are trying to say,” he added.
“Does he even know that what this case all about? Does he even know the case is already over? Does he even know that the court had given a complete judgment of this case and says the concerned persons are free…Let him do a research on this and let him find out,” Conrad said.
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