Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister and president of National People’s Party (NPP) Conrad K Sangma has called upon the political leadership of the region to join hands and fight against militants and criminals.
On Friday, the NPP, which is in an alliance with the BJP in Meghalaya, was granted national party status by the Election Commission. With this, it became the first party from the northeast to be accorded the status.
Sangma’s call assumes significance as it comes a few days after sitting MLA Tirong Aboh and eleven others were gunned down by suspected NSCN (IM) militants at Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh. The incident took place on May 21, two days ahead of the declaration of Assembly election results in the state.
Aboh won the Khonsa West seat from where he was seeking a re-election.
On June 6, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
“The central government is of the opinion that scheduled offence under National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 has been committed and having regard to the gravity of the offence, which involves striking terror in the state, it is required to be investigated by National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008,” the MHA said in its order.
On Saturday, addressing the first North-East Coordination Committee meeting in Shillong, Sangma said, “The political leadership across party lines agree that this is a big concern. We should come together to ensure that these things do not happen in future.”
“I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue even before the results were out. We all agreed that strict action should be taken and an NIA-level inquiry should be instituted,” Sangma added.
Ahead of last year’s Assembly election in Meghalaya, militant group Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) had killed National Congress Party (NCP) candidate Jonathane N Sangma, who was contesting from the Williamnagar Assembly constituency.
In Assam, several insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam, National Democratic Front of Bodoland, Dima Halam Daoga and Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front have killed more than 50 political leaders since 80s.
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