SHILLONG:
United Democratic Party (UDP) leader and cabinet minister Lahkmen Rymbui has an advice for Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Vincent Pala – instead of making “nonsensical” allegations, he should sit back and introspect on why his colleagues in the Grand Old Party are distancing themselves from him and the party.
“Instead of speaking nonsense and acting innocent, the MPCC chief should introspect on why everybody is leaving him. He has crossed all limits of decency and has started to allege everybody,” said the education minister, on June 7.
Reacting to his allegations that UDP is the most corrupt party among the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance partners, Rymbui, who is also holding the home portfolio, challenged the Shillong MP to spell out the policies of the Congress for 2023 “if he is a real politician”.
“I respect him and his politics but allegations such as everybody and every department is corrupt is unacceptable. He is a senior politician and in fact, a three-time MP; it is totally unbecoming of him to make such allegations,” Rymbui said.
Referring to reports that the Congress is set to file a charge sheet against the MDA government, the UDP leaders said, “The MPCC president is trying to become the petitioner, investigating officer, prosecutor and the judge – so let the people judge.”
Earlier, Pala had said that if the UDP gets portfolios such as Public Work Department (PWD) and finance “they will sell everything and whatever chance they get, they are looting the state”.
Alleging that there is so much corruption in the district council which is led by the UDP, he had said, “The way they put gates all along the highways…for checking illegal trading of forest produce, farmers produce and different items.”
“In terms of the law and order, the way drugs are available, the way liquor is available even late at night. You should be aware that in Meghalaya, 42 percent (of the population) are single mothers and more than 46 percent of the young girls below 20 years got married, why all these are happening it is because of poverty. Now who holds these portfolios – if you see home is being held by the UDP, liquor (excise) also is being controlled by the UDP,” he had said.