Mukul Sangma a nervous chief minister: NCP

SHILLONG - Meghalaya’s opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Thursday described Mukul Sangma as a “nervous chief minister” for shying away from visiting the riot-hit areas of the state.

“It appears the chief minister is nervous, as he was shying away from visiting the affected areas and displaced people,” Conrad K. Sangma, the leader of opposition in Meghalaya assembly, told journalists.

“Would the chief minister have dared to go to those Rabha relief camps when the situation (ethnic conflict) was at its peak,” Conrad Sangma asked, referring to the chief minister’s earlier comments that union Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha K. Sangma had disturbed the fragile law and order situation by visiting the riot-hit areas.

He also reminded the chief minister that Agatha Sangma rushed to the riot-hit areas to tame the ethnic flare-up as the people’s representative in parliament.

On Wednesday, the chief minister said he would register his complaint with Prime Minster Manmohan Singh against Agatha Sangma for defying the district administration’s advice against visiting strife-torn areas as it could aggravate the situation.

“Agatha Sangma is visiting the affected victims to help them and in no point of time defied the district administration’s advice. The complaint letter of the chief minster would be dumped in the dustbin,” the NCP legislator said.

Attacking Mukul Sangma for rushing to New Delhi during the riots, Conrad Sangma asked: “What for did he go to Delhi? If he was in Delhi who did he meet? Did he meet the prime minister, home minister or home secretary or did he telephone them?”

He said senior Garo leaders had tried to meet Mukul Sangma to brief him about the tension building up between the Rabha and Garo tribes, but the chief minister was “busy partying and busy singing”.

“We don’t want a singing chief minster, we need an acting one who takes his work responsibly,” Conrad Sangma said.

The opposition leader said the chief minster should have called an all-party meeting to tackle the situation.

“He must have taken the initiative to solve the issue, rather indulging in blame game,” he added.

Ten people have died so far and scores injured in the violent clashes between Garo and Rabha tribes that began New Year’s Day. As many as 300 houses on both sides of the riot-hit areas of Assam’s Goalpara and Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district were burnt down.

Nearly 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are staying in relief camps in Assam and Meghalaya.

Hundreds of houses were burnt down in the riot-hit areas of the state.