Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said there is an attempt to snatch away the power of the Autonomous District councils in the state.
Addressing a massive gathering at Nongpoh as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi said, “The power of your Autonomous councils is snatch away from them, so all the work we did in decentralising power, giving power to the people of Meghalaya is being reversed slowly.”
“The structure that we got to protect your land, protect the adivasis, protect the local forest has been uprooted,” the Congress leader said.
While pulling the attention of the people on the remarks of Union Home Minister, Amit Shah who claimed that Meghalaya is the most corrupted state and the later BJP became partner in coalition Government, Gandhi said Meghalaya is not ruled from Meghalaya but its ruled from Delhi.
Criticising the state Government he said Meghalaya government has not taken any initiative in addressing the concerns of the common people, citing ongoing issues such as the illegal transportation of coal that has adversely affected the local population.
He also questioned the non-inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the 8th schedule.
Expressing concern over the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur clash, where hundreds of lives were lost, and thousands were displaced due to ethnic infighting, Rahul Gandhi said, “So we decided that we would do another Bharat Jodo Yatra that would go from Manipur all the way to Maharashtra. People asked us why did you start from Manipur. The reason is the ideology of the RSS and the BJP has destroyed the idea of Manipur.”
Stating that the politics of hatred and violence has torn the state apart, he said, “Hundreds of people have died, thousands of people have lost their property, it is a complete tragedy. And that is why we wanted to send a message to the rest of India about the pain that the people of Manipur are feeling.”
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur.
“If the Prime Minister of India wanted to stop the violence in Manipur he could stop it in 3 days. If he told the Indian Army that the violence in Manipur should be stopped, I am confident that the Indian Army would have stopped the violence within a matter of days. The truth is he is not interested in stopping the violence in Manipur. He let the people of Manipur suffer,” Gandhi said.
He spoke about lack of equality and growing disparities under the BJP government’s rule. The leader expressed concern that the BJP administration failed to respect the culture, religion, and identity of the people, fostering an environment of exclusion.
A massive turnout of thousands of people from Meghalaya marked the enthusiastic gathering at Ri Bhoi District, where Rahul Gandhi’s Jodo Nyay Yatra took center stage at the Mini Stadium, Pahamsyiem, Nongpoh on Monday.
As Rahul embarked on his Yatra through Meghalaya, he was accorded a warm welcome in Jorabat by the MPCC President, Vincent H. Pala, along with other Congress leaders.
The journey commenced on foot from the DTO office, Nongpoh, culminating in a vibrant conclusion at NSCA Mini Stadium, Pahamsyiem. The fervor of the occasion was evident as thousands of people proudly hoisted the INC flag, symbolizing a hearty welcome to Rahul Gandhi on his impactful Yatra in Meghalaya.
AICC leaders, comprising Jairam Ramesh, INC Member of Rajya Sabha, General Secretary K. C. Venugopal, AICC in-charge of Meghalaya A. Chellakumar, and other prominent AICC leaders, joined Rahul Gandhi in his impactful Yatra through Meghalaya.