Shillong, Dec 13: Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the land that Assam took from Meghalaya should be returned to the people.
“If you have the guts, then return the land to Meghalaya,” she said while addressing party members at State Central Library.
Later, during the press meet, when the chief minister of West Bengal was asked how the party was planning to solve the border issue with BJP-governed Assam if voted to power, Banerjee said, “We have to be cool, we have to be political, we have to mix with the people also. How we will do it we will not disclose now.”
On the claim that TMC is a Bengali party, Banerjee rejected it saying that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Rabindranath Tagore were also Bengalis. “Mother Teresa received Nobel Peace prize. She was from Kolkata. So, calling us a Bengali party is a rumour,” she said.
On the state leadership, Banerjee said leaders like Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope are there to fight for the causes of people here. “There are no political challenges. We want to defeat BJP and NPP here,” she said.
On money power during elections in Meghalaya, Banerjee requested all the electorate to not play to the money power. “They will give money and then send ED and CBI. I condemn money and muscle power. I believe in democracy,” she said.
Illegal coal mining is another issue that has been continuing in the state, especially after the MDA government came to power in 2018. In November of the same year, two activists, Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma, were attacked and brutally beaten up. The duo are still fighting for justice and compensation.
To a query, Banerjee said West Bengal has already implemented a law to stop illegal mining and the party would do the same in Meghalaya. When reminded that land belongs to people in the Sixth Schedule state, she replied that people were not taking any action.
On implementing the inner line permit, the TMC chairperson said it was a sensitive issue and after TMC forms the government, “the state government will set up an expert committee and it will take decisions”.
Referring to the MDA government as “worthless”, she said there are price rises and the government did nothing. “If there are audits in my state, then why not here,” she added.
Earlier, leader of the opposition Mukul Sangma welcomed everyone to join the TMC “Parivar” to bring about change in the state.
Addressing party members, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee recollected how the party started its journey with a membership drive at State Central Library and gradually became “a formidable force”.
CM candidate
Banerjee said the party would announce its chief ministerial candidate once the election is declared. Earlier, a section of the media reported that Mukul Sangma would be the CM candidate.
