SHILLONG:
Joining the chorus of appeals for the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to shun violence, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the party is willing to facilitate peace talks with the Centre if the banned militant outfit wants join the mainstream.
“When I took over as the party’s state president, we had stated that we are there for them (HNLC) to pave the way for peace talks with the Union Home Ministry,” said BJP state president Ernest Mawrie.
Mawrie further informed that the issue was also discussed with the Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju during his visit to the state on Saturday.
“He (Rijiju) was ex-minister of state in the first Modi government and he is also very keen to bring all the extremist groups in the Northeast (including HNLC) to come to the mainstream and have peace talks,” he said.
Condemning the recent acts of violence perpetrated by the HNLC, Mawrie appealed to the militant group to come overground.