Shilllong, Sept 15: Reacting to the decision of the opposition Congress to stage a walk out, Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma said that in a democracy the opposition always stages walk out(s) and this is nothing new.

Accoring to him, the opposition has full right to raise their objection and it is very much a democratic way to indicate their dissatisfaction over the decision which has been made.
He said that this has happened in the Parliament and even in the Assembly.

The opposition walked out from the House on Wednesday for not allowing a discussion on the death of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew.

Discussion disallowed based on Assembly rules

Chief Minister, however, said there is a need to clarify the situation on Wednesday. Referring to the short duration discussion which was disallowed, he said that the Speaker had disallowed the discussion based on Rule 59 of the Rule and Procedure of Conduct of Business in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

Sangma said that based on this rule any subject which is under a judiciary and under any inquiry cannot be taken during the session since it is subjudice.

He further said that Speaker has already followed those rules and disallowed discussion on the matter.

“It was not proper based on that issue that the walk out should have been there. But it is the decision of the Opposition and I would not like to comment,” he said.

Wrong to blame government

Sangma said that it is not the decision of the government to allow or disallow since the decision lies with the Speaker.

“Blaming the government is wrong since we don’t run the Assembly. But the Speaker has given his ruling based on a specific rule,” he said.

Tuesday’s discussion primarily on IED blast

When asked that the Speaker had allowed discussion on this matter on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that there was question on the IED blast and the Speaker had allowed since he had felt it will not go to the inquiry part. “But at one point when the Speaker felt that the question was going towards the inquiry then he stopped it,” he said.

When asked to the claim of the opposition that the suspension of the top police officials is an adminstrative procedure and is not related to the inquiry, he said that the suspension is on the basis of  a particular reason and the demand for suspension is linked to the inquiry.