Shillong,, Sept 26: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has stressed on secularism while referring to the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that all Indians are Hindus.
The chief minister said, “India is a secular nation and as a secular nation we all have a right to follow whichever religion that we feel.”
“Those are comments made by him. He has right to say whatever he feels about it. Therefore, he said it in his capacity as a head of organization and those are his views. I have no comments on his personal views but as I said as a nation and as a country and constitutionally we are a secular nation,” he said.
No info from Centre on withdrawal
The chief minister said there has been no communication from the BJP that it will pull out of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.
“No there is no communication. I mean it should not come to me but it is within BJP, so the question should be asked to them,” Conrad said
Gaming Act to continue
Conrad reiterated that the question of repealing the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 does not arise.
Conrad said the Act was brought in precisely because there are gaming parlours that were functioning till today without licenses such as jackpot parlours and other gaming that are going on.
Teachers’ issue
Conrad said the government will examine the possibility of helping the contractual teachers according to the rules.
The contractual teachers are on strike demanding jobs.
“If there is any possibility of helping them in any other possible way following the rules and procedures in the processes that are there in the departments of the government, we are ready to examine all those things,” Conrad said.
“However, it is a complicated situation as the government will not be able to just directly appoint them as it would not be appropriate for us because there are procedures and processes we have to follow,” he said.
Open debate
Conrad feigned ignorance about opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) national spokesperson Saket Gokhale and his challenge to the MDA government for an open debate on alleged misgovernance.
“Who is he (Gokhale)? I don’t know him as there can be many people from any part of the country who may come out and say we have this issue, that issue, let us have debates,”Conrad said
“However, we (Government) cannot be having debates with any Tom, Dick and Harry…So I don’t know the person, I have nothing to say on it,” he said.
