Shillong, Feb 17: Congress national spokesperson Alka Lamba on Friday slammed the BJP’s top leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for calling Meghalaya ‘the most corrupt state in the country’ even as she questioned his party’s decision to reward Tura MDC Bernard N Marak, who was arrested for allegedly running a brothel, with a ticket to contest from South Tura.

“I want to tell Amit Shah Meghalaya is not corrupt. The government of Meghalaya which you are a member of is corrupt. We would like to ask Amit Shah the question which he has constantly been avoiding,” Lamba told reporters.

Referring to Marak’s case, she said, “The women and children of Meghalaya want to know while you claim to protect women and talk about ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’, you have given a ticket to a man accused under POSCO. A man who has been known to run a brothel in Meghalaya and had run away to UP where he was caught and jailed. Instead of removing him from the party, you have rewarded him with a ticket to contest from the BJP.”

“PM has to answer this. How can you claim to protect women when you bring such men who exploit women to represent the people of Meghalaya? Modi, Shah, Irani are answerable to the people of Meghalaya, women of Meghalaya, to the girls of Meghalaya,” Lamba added.

She further alleged that the BJP government has increased hunger in the country as India now ranks 107 out of 121 countries. India ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99).

“Modi has called social security for the poor as rewadi while Amit Shah has promised support for people of Meghalaya in the form of income to single mothers. Does this not reek of hypocrisy? On one hand you make fun of social security measures and on the other you make lofty promises in your manifesto which is proof that nothing from the BJP manifesto will be fulfilled,” she said.

“BJP is claiming they are a double engine government but they are actually a double trouble government. The double trouble is unemployment and inflation,” she added.