SHILLONG, Sept 12: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday accused the Opposition Chief Whip George B Lyngdoh of ‘lying’ that the government has failed to consult the stakeholders while signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam for resolving six areas of difference between the two states.
This also led to heated arguments between the two during the Assembly.
“It is sad that the member (Lyngdoh) is misleading the House and I can completely say that it is a lie,” Sangma said when reacting to Lyngdoh’s allegation that discussion with the stakeholders did not happen in the first phase.
The opposition chief whip said that it was only after the conclusion of the first phase that the himas and other stakeholders objected to the signing of the MoU and the areas that have been given away to Assam by the state government.
The chief minister however said, “In fact, the process in the first phase saw multiple stakeholder meetings for the first time. The ministers and the concerned officials went to ground zero, had multiple public hearings, which was never done before.”
Asking the member to refrain from making statements which are completely misleading, Sangma said, “You are in the House, this is not a press conference, so be clear about your facts. This is not the way a responsible member should act… I would ask the member to refrain from misguiding and misleading the House.”
According to him, the stakeholders including the district councils, NGOs and others were also consulted during the first phase of border talks.
In turn, Lyngdoh asked the chief minister to refrain using of the words “members are lying” and reminded he cannot cast aspersion on members as per rules and procedures.
He said that the KHADC had passed an official resolution opposing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). “We also have letters from Hima Mylliem opposing the MoU. We have people who are up in arms saying that they do not want to go to Assam. Calling me a liar it is okay as it is for the people to judge,” Lyngdoh added.
He also questioned as to why the CM was being annoyed by him stating these facts.
“I would request the government, (since) last time when we ask for the draft MoU to be placed in the house, it was not done, and many areas have been lost. So at least this time, in the second phase, to take us as a House into consideration so that we (can) have thorough discussion and see the ground reality before the government goes ahead and finalise (the next MoU),” the opposition chief whip said.
To this, the chief minister clarified that the reason he said Lyngdoh was lying was because he (Lyngdoh) said that the stakeholders were not being consulted. “Not agreeing or giving a letter of discontenment does not mean discussion does not take place,” he said.
Sangma further assured that all stakeholders will be consulted during the second phase of border talks for resolving the remaining six areas of difference.
“The discussion is a process, (it) is not an event of a single day. Therefore, the process has started and as the process moves on, we will include discussions, will invite stakeholders, will have public hearings and have multiple meetings. Therefore, the process has (just) started. It is not that we have concluded the discussion and hence, as this process moves forward, all stakeholders, all different people, public in general will be consulted and only then (we) will move ahead with the discussion,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has urged the opposition members not to play politics on the border issue.
“I would request, this is a sensitive issue and is not an issue to play politic. Please refrain from playing politics,” he said while requesting the opposition to give positive suggestions on the matter.
