SHILLONG:
Staff Reporter
With Meghalaya heading towards the 2023 Assembly elections, Union Law minister Kiren Rijiju said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have more space in governance stating that it will bring development to the people.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a programme on Saturday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Rozgar Mela (a recruiting drive for 10 lakh people), Rijiju said, “NDA has to have a major role in the governance here otherwise it would be unfortunate for the people. Meghalaya people have voted for the NDA led by the National People’s Party (NPP). They are doing a good job but I wish BJP has more role in the government because it will bring more development and benefits to the people,” he said.
When asked about the issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP), which has been brought up by various pressure groups, Rijiju said that it needs to be decided collectively. “The issue of each state is different from the other. The issues raised by the local people here have their relevance and importance. Government has to take a collective decision taking into account the larger interest of everyone. I cannot comment on anything specific because it requires deliberation and consultation,” he said.
Responding to a query that the government of India is trying to repeal all the British era laws, Rijiju said that the Union government has decided to remove all ‘obsolete laws’.
“We have decided to remove all obsolete, archaic laws. Unnecessary laws are a burden for the common man. All those unnecessary laws that were enacted a long time back and do not hold any relevance in today’s time do not deserve to be in the statute. So, we have removed more than 1500 laws,” he said.
He said that in coming Winter session of the Parliament, he is preparing to introduce repealed acts in the Parliament.
When asked if Inner Line Permit (ILP) was also included, he said that ILP was through a regulation.
“I am talking about the old laws which work as an impediment in the normal life of the common people. There should be minimum presence of government’s role in the life of the common people,” Rijiju said.