I have done my job alerting CM: Mukul

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 20: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma today said he has done his job by alerting the chief minister Conrad K Sangma with regards to the drug kingpin from Mizoram. According to him, it is now up to the chief minister to take cognizance of the matter.

This came after Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma had expunged Mukul’s statement alleging Conrad of having a close association with a drug kingpin from Mizoram. Mukul had on Tuesday presented a photograph of Conrad, his wife and Henry Lalremsanga, who was arrested on April 23, 2013, in connection with the seizure of Rs six crore worth of banned pseudoephedrine tablets.

Speaking to reporters, Mukul claimed that in fact, he had been quite helpful in alerting the chief minister by giving him this kind of information (about Henry), lest he might have not seen that news (published in 2013).

“Why should it be considered offensive? I’m sure everybody who knows the gentleman also will agree with me that I have come to know yesterday after I shared this vital Information in the August House that the person concerned whose picture I have shared is somebody who frequents the state,” he said while adding “Therefore, my job is done now. It is his (Conrad) job to utilize his wisdom and judgment.”

The former chief minister however expressed surprise to see how the government was navigating the whole narrative and defensive they have suddenly become accusing him instead of pointing a finger at the chief minister.

“I never said he (Conrad) he has a nexus but I have definitely say that the person concerned who have the privilege of sharing in that sitting arrangement in one of the very important program at the national capital is reflective of his mutual association with the person concerned,” he said adding “I am also told that yes this association is part and parcel, so therefore I am again in the House today I have said, yes my job is to caution you, I think now it’s the people who should tell him in addition to what I have said.”

He further added, “In yesterday’s proceedings, I have cautioned and I have advised the CM to see that he disassociate (with Henry) so that is my advice and I have also said, I’m sure you won’t get offended because I am suggesting that the chief minister should be disassociate his association since in view of what was carried by the national media. I feel that he should.”

On CM asking him to do research on the status of the case against Henry, Mukul however said, “That is my prerogative and it is also his (CM) responsibility to find out. He should rather go after the man and find out what exactly has happened to the case and is he still in any way directly or indirectly associating with other friends because it is not only one person along with that person there’s other persons from Delhi, whether they are still in those kinds of activity or not. It is up to the CM, he has all the ways and means to find out, he can just write to the government of India to the concerned authorities and find out.”

“I have said to put a scanner in view of what is happening. How do you interpret it? This interpretation is simple: any layman will understand what Dr. Mukul Sangma has suggested,” he stated.

Speaker expunges Mukul’s statement

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 20: Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma today expunged the statement made by opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma alleging the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of having a close association with a ‘drug kingpin’ from Mizoram from the proceedings of the House as they are in violative of the rules.

Referring to the relevant rules, Thomas said, “Therefore, I in exercise of the rules expunge the statement made by Mukul Sangma from the proceedings (of the House) as they are in violative of the rules.”

“Therefore, the speech made by Mukul Sangma on the matter against the chief minister will not be part of the proceedings and I hereby expunge it from the proceedings of the House on September 19,” he added.

Reminding that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly is known in the entire country as a very disciplined House, the Speaker said, “So let us not engage in calling names and making allegations without substantiated evidence.”

The ruling of the Speaker came after deputy chief minister-in-charge of parliamentary affairs Prestone Tynsong requested that Mukul’s statement be expunged.

Tynsong requested the member from Songsak to refrain from such kind of reference based on a ‘photograph’.

Defending the intent of his submission made during a discussion on a motion yesterday, Mukul said that the deputy chief minister has misinterpreted the basic intend of the submission.

“The person concerned whose name was reflected in the national media was an alleged accused and not convicted. I have not made an allegation of any substantive crime having been committed by referring to what was reflected in the photograph. I have made my submission saying that we got to be careful, we got to be cautious as to whom we associate while we occupying the office of position, an office which is constitutionally empowered,” he said.

“I have also made a submission I would suggest the CM to disassociate himself from being associated with this kind of person whose antecedent I am not aware of, it is up to the CM to put them on scanner, that is what I have said. Now why is govt of the day so desperate and sweating it out to defend it?” Mukul asked.

He further said that the photograph is an official photograph in the social media page of the organizer and a sitting arrangement officially made in the front row and it is not by default that somebody had taken a selfie adding he had raised the issue because of unprecedented availability of drugs in the state really concerns him.

The former chief minister also claimed that everybody in the House particularly the minister know this person frequents the secretariat and residence of the chief minister.

“The person is associated with the CM and it is my duty to alert my CM because he is holding the responsibility,” he said while maintaining that he has not accused the CM and that his statement does not require to be expunged from the proceedings of the House.

He also assured to follow the proper procedure to ensure a decision is taken on the matter.

Expressing concern that his name was dragged into unnecessary arguments, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma asked the AITC leader to bring out the facts of the case.

“Let the member (Mukul) bring out the fact of the case, when this case happened, what is the status of this case right now,” he said.

“Our point is if you are going to connect two dots wherever you wish and suits you and draw a picture of that and then bring it in the House then just misguide everybody that is what we are trying to say,” he added.

“Does he even know that what this case is all about? Does he even know the case is already over? Does he even know that the court had given a complete judgment of this case and says the concerned persons are free. Let him do a research on this and let him find out,” Conrad said.

CM highlights transparency in power department

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Cabinet’s decision to approve a Rs 700 crore tender for implementation of the loss reduction project under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) reflects the transparency that the government power department has.

“Bringing it (tender) to the cabinet is an indication of the transparency that the department has, the minister has where he would like to share the procedure, the process followed, the steps taken in order to arrive to what we have arrived and to allot to work and to move ahead with certain aspects,” Conrad told reporters.

“You have to understand that it is a large tender, it is a Rs 700 crores tender and when a large tendering process like this happens, it’s a basic process or a kind of culture that we follow that any large decision that is there and a decision which could possibly have you know, people could misunderstand even though there is nothing to misunderstand but it has possibility,” he said while adding “So it is always a culture that we try to bring these kind of decisions to the cabinet for the sake of transparency. We are not trying to hide anything, it has been given all the details to the cabinet ministers and everything is in the open for people to see.”

Recently, the opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma has questioned the Cabinet’s decision to approve a tendering process proposed by the power department and cautioned the cabinet ministers if it can be a trap against them.

Reacting to this, Conrad said, “It’s quite funny that Dr Mukul Sangma has questioned why. That means he is questioning the transparency procedure that we are having. If we wanted to do it quietly or if there was an intention then we would have never brought it to Cabinet.”

He said every detail about how many times the retendering, how many times the extension of the tendering was done it’s mentioned out there in the cabinet note and the cabinet ministers were briefed about it about the fact that the government had written continuously a couple of times to the REC and inform them about the different kind of issues that came up in the tendering process and sought their approval to go ahead because the tendering process had been extended had been re-tendered.

“And all the necessary procedures have been followed and only after we got the approval or a green signal from REC did we go ahead with the certain aspects. Of course procedure is not complete yet but certain parts are moving forward and in that process to ensure the transparency would be maintained we decided together both AT Mondal and myself that lets us take it to the cabinet and let everybody know what it is, ask questions about it, feel free to feel comfortable about all the questions so that there is no doubt tomorrow if anybody in the press or public asks us,” the CM said.

“So I think it’s just the opposite of what he (Mukul) had reacted to that. I think the fact that has been brought to the cabinet is something that one should appreciate that transparency is being maintained,” he further added.

Conrad terms allegations as ‘ridiculous’

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today termed the allegation of former chief minister Mukul Sangma over a photograph of him and a person, who was arrested as kingpin in a drug haul in Mizoram, as the most ridiculous way of proving anything.

Mukul had accused the chief minister of having a close association with a drug kingpin from Mizoram while producing a photograph of Conrad, his wife and Henry Lalremsanga, who was arrested on April 23, 2013, in connection with the seizure of Rs six crore worth banned pseudoephedrine tablets.

The serious allegation was made in the Assembly during a discussion on a motion related to the drug menace in the State.

“It is sad that a person of his (Mukul) level brought in a photograph and just jumped to a conclusion. Connecting people based on a photograph of two people being clicked together I think in today’s world, it is the most ridiculous way of proving anything. So I have no comment to say about that,” Conrad told reporters.

Stating that he clicked pictures with millions of people being a public figure, he said, “I meet and I sit and I click pictures with millions of people. Even while walking in the street, somebody will stop me, I never say no, because we are public figures.”

“I think connecting two individuals’ activities based on and coming to a conclusion based on a photograph I think is the most illogical conclusion that anybody can jump to,” Conrad said while adding “It has to be based on evidence and on proof of what activities were taking place. I have no clue number one, what these activities were and I know many people and individuals who are there and as public figures, we need to talk to everybody.”

“So does the court case or whatever police case that was filed that have Conrad Sangma’s name in it? I think that is the precise question. Whether we were called for any kind of discussion on it or any kind of case was filed against us, I think that is the basis on which a statement of this level by a person of his stature should be made,” he added.

The chief minister said he would act on the matter as per the rules and procedures that are there in the House.

“As per rule, whatever the ruled in procedure is there in the house, whatever the honourable speaker has mentioned accordingly we will take it but as I said this nothing to react for my side when there is no basis on which these kinds of talks have been made,” he said.