Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday refused to comment on statements made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah tagging Meghalaya as the ‘Most corrupt state’ during the elections.
Replying to a short duration discussion moved by VPP legislator from North Shillong Adelbert Nongrum, Sangma said, “People have voted for the different components of the MDA, people have voted for the MDA government. This is the biggest agni pariksha.”
He said he does not want to comment on statements by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the elections.
“We said what we have to say during elections. Many of our coalition partners too said (so many things) against us and we against them. But people have given their verdict and they expect us to be responsible,” he said.
While moving the short duration discussion, Nongrum asked if the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister would be so careless to publicly declare that the state government of Meghalaya is the most corrupt in the entire India.
“Do you think persons of their stature will speak without having enough knowledge about what is really going on in the mismanagement of public funds released to the state by the central government?” Nongrum said.
The VPP MLA said, “If the charges of corruption against the state government are untrue, then it requires that the government of the day give a strong and befitting response to the remarks of the Prime Minister and the Union Minister.”
The chief minister however highlighted the achievements of the MDA government in terms of the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, PMGSY and others.
He said, “This is testimony of the fact that Meghalaya has performed well and it is the government of India which has given us these certificates.”
“The fact that today in this MDA-2 government, we are working together with the BJP (and) during the swearing in ceremony (was also attended by the) the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister (for the first time in the state’s history) speaks volume about their confidence in this government,” he stated.
The CM reminded the people that the ‘agni pariksha’ of 2023 is over. He urged that “It is now for the leaders of the state to fulfil the aspirations of the people and take the state forward as we want to make Meghalaya the top 10 states in the country.”
Earlier while taking part in the discussion, AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma said that corruption is more crippling and deadly than terrorism as it can cripple the state at the cost of the next generation.
“I have said that when we look at the menace of corruption and resultant fall out for the future generation, I would like to further say that corruption is more crippling and deadlier than terrorism. It can cripple the state at the cost of whom ? at the cost of the Generation next,” Dr Sangma while asking not to take this particular issue lightly,
He also suggested the need for the House to adopt a government resolution urging the government of India to indicate the instances of corruption. “If there are instances of corruption, let the government of India come up with measures to investigate the alleged irregularities so that we can free this state from being referred to as a corrupt state,” he said.
Participating in the short duration discussion, he said, “It is very painful for all of us, irrespective of whether we are in the treasury bench or in the opposition bench that our state, the state of Meghalaya is today having an infamous tag of being the most corrupt state. Like in Ramayana when we know that Sita has to be exonerate from the suspicion there was an ‘agni pariksha’ just to ensure that the perception if it is wrong we come clear . “