Shillong, May 6: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has asked Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to drop NPP leader and deputy chief minister Sniawbhalang Dhar from the ministry after the allegation by banned HNLC that Dhar had funded the militant group.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Batskhem Myrboh, the spokesperson of VPP, said that it is deeply alarmed by a report in a section of the media regarding HNLC accusing Dhar for financially supporting the outfit during his previous tenure as a minister in the Congress ed government.
According to th report, the HNLC general secretary, Saiñkupar Nongtraw, claimed that Dhar used to secretly donate funds to the militant organisation and has now distanced himself due to his association with the ruling NPP. Such a revelation coming from a known outfit, cannot be dismissed lightly, the VPP said.
“Given the gravity of the matter, the VPP demands that the Government of Meghalaya should immediately cause a thorough and impartial inquiry into this allegation by the National Investigating Agency as it involves security and integrity of the nation. During the pendency of the investigation, the Minister concerned should be immediately dropped from the cabinet”, the spokesperson said.
Custodial torture
The VPP also expressed its concern over the related reports of alleged custodial torture of two arrested HNLC members, as mentioned in the report.
“Rule of law and human rights must be upheld under all circumstances, and any form of custodial abuse must be independently investigated. The people of Meghalaya deserve to know the truth. The government must not remain silent in the face of such serious allegations that strike at the core of governance, ethics, and the safety of our citizens. We therefore call upon the Chief Minister to break his silence and initiate a probe immediately,” the VPP said.
