SHILLLONG:
The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has given Union Home Minister Amit Shah time till February 23 to initiate investigations into alleged corruption in the state or face a defamation suit for calling Meghalaya the most corrupt state in the country.
The president of HITO, Donboklang Dkhar, told reporters here on Saturday that the organisation has written to Shah asking for urgent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with ‘rampant corruption’ in the state.
“We are giving time to the Home minister to take up the investigation into such charges till February 23 and if he fails, we will file a defamation case against him,” he said.
Dkhar said Shah should have been specific and not tagged the entire state as corrupt.
“If we are corrupt, please investigate and catch us and give us proof but if we are not, then you are just talking without taking any action,” said Dkhar.
He added, “We will be pleased if the minister sends the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate on or before February 23; we will be more than happy to cooperate with the BJP and the central government.”
Assuring to provide all evidences against corrupt individuals, be it members of pressure groups, politicians or anyone, HITO dared the Home minister to act on it.
TMC CANDIDATE SORE
Trinamool Congress candidate from North Shillong Elgiva Rynjah also ticked off Shah for branding Meghalaya as a corrupt state.
“After being partners in corruption for five years, now that the elections are here, BJP has woken up to the corruption and scams peddled by the MDA government. Why didn’t the BJP do anything in the past five years when the state was being looted by their own partners? Where were the central investigative agencies that are over-active in Opposition-ruled states?,” she asked.
She said they had sold the rights of the people while the money from the state was going to political leaders in Delhi, Assam, and Gujarat. “But now that the elections are just around the corner, BJP has chosen to engage in empty ‘jumla- baazi’ again,” she said.
Branding BJP as the most corrupt party, the TMC candidate said, “BJP is the most corrupt and communal party in the whole country. The people of Meghalaya aren’t corrupted, but it is BJP that made the leaders of our state corrupted. If Amit Shah has the guts, let him send the ED to raid the politicians who are part of this MDA government.”