Shillong, July 24: Congress on Sunday wanted to know why it took long time to take action against BJP leader Bernard Marak and blamed the Chief Minister following the BJP-NPP stand-off over the raid at the farm house of Marak.
The vice president of Congress, Ronnie V Lyngdoh said the police raid at the farm house of state BJP vice president Bernard on Saturday is just a tip of the iceberg of what possibly could be beneath the dark underbelly of the present MDA ruling dispensation led by Conrad Sangma and his party, the NPP.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Lyngdoh said the incident comes at a time when the government is facing allegations of corruption in all spheres of governance and to which it is yet to come clean.
“Therefore, this sudden raid at Marak’s farm house on the outskirts of Tura is but a cover up for all the misdeeds of the government for the past five years. There is more than that meets the eye to merely believe that the Home Minister and the police did not know about Marak’s activities. What would the UDP have to say about this considering the home ministry is held by one of its senior members?, Lyngdoh said.
Further, what must not be allowed to go abegging are questions which the chief minister has to answer. After all all these were happening under the very nose of the chief minister.
“In fact Marak’s resort where the raid was conducted is located not at a great distance from the Chief Minister’s residence and it should not come as a surprise if some of the arrested are close associates of the NPP”, he said.
Lyngdoh said there should be immediate independent investigation to unveil the truth behind such shameless and nefarious activities which have been happening in the state and that too very close to where the Chief Minister resides. All the arrested persons must be sent to judicial custody so that more incriminating information can be gathered from them without tampering any evidence.
“Let us not forget that a case of sexual assault on a minor girl surfaced from this place -Rimpu Bagan – in February when the family members of the victim had filed a police case. From this incident it can only be said that the police were not totally clueless about the existence of this place and the kind of nefarious activities which were going on here under their nose”, the Congress leader said.
The police ascertained that a minor girl was sexually assaulted multiple times over one week, and a case was registered under IPC sections 366A (procuration of minor girl), 376 (punishment for rape) and sections of the POCSO Act.
“Thus, without wasting any time, the home minister must answer as to why it took so long to raid this place. Was there pressure from the BJP or was there a tacit understanding between Marak and the top Garo leaders in the NPP”, Lyngdoh said.
The allegations made by the accused BJP leader against chief minister that the raid was conducted due to the frustrations over the prospects of defeat by the BJP in the South Tura seat must also be interpreted by looking at the bigger picture, Lyngdoh said adding that it is clear that chief minister’s desperation is visible and he is now using the police to clean up his own mess.
Will the chief minister be honest enough to tell the people of the state why it took him and the police so long to crackdown on the BJP leader? Is it true that he would have kept quiet if the BJP had left the South Tura constituency undisturbed in NPP’s favour?, Lyngdoh said.
“Let us also not forget that there are 25 criminal cases pending against Marak which are all of a serious nature considering his earlier association with the militant outfit, the ANVC (B). So what was the Chief Minster waiting for? For many more girls to become victims of flesh trade or get sexually abused by criminals?, he pointed out.
The raid at the BJP leader’s farmhouse in fact once again raises serious questions on the future of state under chief minister and his deputy Prestone Tynsong, Lyngdoh said.
“The case is a reflection of the complete failure of the government to check corruption and nefarious activities, be it about illegal coal mining, loot in other sectors like power, education and health and depriving the people of their right to growth, employment and quality human development or making the good reputation of the state intact”, he added.
