SHILLONG, MAR 26: Meghalaya Congress chief and sitting Shillong MP Vincent H Pala on Tuesday claimed that even though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have agreed to extend support to NPP candidates in the two seats in Meghalaya, the party has deserted its workers.
Stating that the saffron party betrayed the people by not contesting, the Shillong MP urged the voters of different political parties including BJP to join him.
“The BJP’s leaders have agreed to join hands with NPP but the workers have been deserted. The people of Meghalaya who have trusted BJP they have been betrayed,” Pala said.
“ I think the most of the voters of BJP will not go to NPP, so the voters many will come to me I request all of them to come to me, I request each and every voters to come to me from all the parties not only from BJP, even from other parties,” the Meghalaya Congress Chief said.
Earlier, in a major setback to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) its senior leader and state vice president Dipul R Marak resigned from the party on Monday. Dipul Marak was earlier the chief executive member of the GHADC. He switched to the BJP after being denied a ticket by the NPP in the last council elections but faced defeat.
Meanwhile, expressing confidence to retain the Shillong seat, Meghalaya Congress chief and sitting Shillong MP Vincent H Pala on Tuesday highlighted the various achievements of the Congress during the past 15 years.
He however said there is a lot that needs to be done especially Meghalaya needs a new airport.
“Congress has done well in terms of education, in terms of connectivity, in terms of trade and business and in terms of equitable distribution of wealth. So the policy which the Congress has taken before and the policy which the present government has taken is totally different,” Pala said.
“If you the policy taken by the present government for those who are rich, they will become richer and poor will become poorer but Congress will try to see the gap between the rich and the poor will be minimized and also the freedom of speech, religion, the Congress has given more on those issues.
Lots of things Congress has done but many things to be done,” he said.
The Meghalaya Congress chief further said that BJP will not win more than 200 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to media persons after filing nomination, Pala said, “As on today, they (BJP) have not declared the fourth list. Why? Because of lots of infightings. So the question of winning more than 200 seats is a big question for them as they don’t even have candidates in states like Meghalaya and NE. How can you expect them to win? It is only propaganda to fool the people.”
He said that the BJP got 303 MPs last time and this time BJP will be down in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Bihar, Punjab, UP, Himachal Pradesh and in many other states. He said, “In the South, more than 130 MPs and this time, the Congress will get maximum seats (from the South.”
Pala said, “We have 540 MPs. To change the Constitution of India, the BJP needs 362 so at the most 370, that’s why they announce 370. What do you mean by 370, 370 they signal they warn the people of India if we get 370, they will change the Constitution? The word secularism from the Constitution will be removed.
If the word ‘secularism’ from the Constitution will be removed then it will be like Pakistan. Pakistan is an Islamic state, Bangladesh is Islamic state, Iran is Islamic state, so we will be like Pakistan, anybody who worships other religions will become illegal. That is the intention and slogan of 370-400. It is not what they will get. They know that they are not going to get but they just want to polarise things, they are going to do this, they are going to make India as a Hindu state, that is the dream of the BJP.”
“I am sure many of you are Hindus, many of our friends are Hindus but we want a peaceful country, we want a country free from all suppression, we want a country free from all the problems faced like Pakistan, Bangladesh and others,” he addied.
Alleging that the infighting in the BJP will be very high this time, Pala said, “They are desperate this time. You see most of the senior MPs, they cut their tickets and most MLAs also they didn’t give them the chance
If you see in Maharashtra, if you see in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you see the senior leaders were thrown out, they put up new leaders.”
Pala said, “Another very important thing which is very silent, you know if we build a church, a father or any priest will sanctify it but now PM of India just to polarise Ram Mandir instead of other sadhus, instead of them doing their job so the politicians have to do their job. So the gap between the Hindus, the gap between the BJP and those people…and all who have to do the job becomes wider. The BJP from a religious point of view, they have made a mistake, from a political point of view they have made a mistake – so no way that they will even get 200 seats.”