SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has said that political parties should leave politics aside and, instead, work together as leaders of the state to ensure that normalcy returns in the state.
The state witnessed incidents of violence after Assam Police personnel gunned down five residents of Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills district, on November 22. An Assam forest guard was also killed in the firing.
Following the incident, sections of political parties have demanded the resignation of Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui.
The chief minister told reporters on Tuesday that political parties may make such demands, but this is not the time to play political blame game or even to look at gaining political mileage out of the very serious situation. It was an unprovoked situation and unexpected, he said.
He observed that in such situations people need to come together as citizens of the state.
It may be mentioned that national secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rituraj Sinha has asked Rymbui to step down from his post.
Earlier, United Democratic Party (UDP) working president and MDC Paul Lyngdoh also demanded that Rymbui, who is also a UDP MLA, should resign.
Responding to a query by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MLA George Lyngdoh asserting the need for President’s Rule in the state, Sangma said that it is not the time to go into political aspects.
“It is not the time to go into the political stands that we take. We need to work together. The Church, the different seniors and elders, traditional heads are all urging us to work together to maintain peace. This is not the time to go into political aspects. Elections will come and we can talk whatever we want after that,” Sangma said.