Shillong, April 1: The much anticipated high profile visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Shillong, which has been indefinitely postponed, could not happen due to the ongoing elections taking place in several states where the senior BJP leader is campaigning, revealed BJP sources on Thursday.
Senior BJP sources told HUB NEWS that it was not feasible for the Union Home Minister to visit the state at this juncture given that there is a high voltage campaign taking place in four crucial states where elections are currently taking place.
“Amit Shah Ji is travelling to various states for election rallies, even in Assam he visited several times but was very busy with campaigning. Let elections get over, he will visit Meghalaya at the appropriate time,” informed a senior BJP leader.
Besides Assam which is going through three phases of elections, there is also a high voltage campaigning taking place in the crucial states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerela, where voting is due to take place within a few weeks time.
The postponement of the home minister’s visit to the state has led many to question the move with even Meghalaya cabinet minister Hamletson Dohling demanding that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah come clean on the Inner Line Permit (ILP).
Dohling said, “We were filled with hope after Shah gave his word to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to re-visit Shillong in March to discuss ILP for Meghalaya but now March has ended and we want to know if the Union Home Minister has taken us for a ride.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s failure to visit Meghalaya within March to discuss the issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP) has left the pressure groups livid and the state’s coalition government disappointed.
“The state government is disappointed that he has not visited the state,” Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong also said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma assured the state that his government would continue to pursue with the Centre for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
