Shillong, June 7: Former chairman of the disbanded ANVC.B, Bernard N. Marak today challenged BJP national spokesperson, Nalin Kohli for an open debate on ‘beef ban’.
In a statement issued here , Marak, who recently resigned from the BJP as its Tura City District president said, “I make an open challenge to him to come down to Garo Hills and debate with me on the BJP’s stand on beef ban.”
According of Marak, Kohli’s claim that the word ‘beef ban’ was not mentioned in the notification, was absurd because “a cow becomes beef only after slaughter, which is specifically banned in the notification.”
“He (Kohli) thinks he can fool tribals like us by his fabricated statements. Garos are not fools and we are not cowards,” Marak said.
“I challenge Nalin Kohli to give me a date for the debate and prepare to face a simple man like me whom he thought did not have winning chance in election. I can take him down and hundred like him, on laws that prevail here,” he said.
Marak further stated that Kohli was wrong when he mentioned that Bernard and Bachu Marak as contenders for the upcoming elections.
He also accused Kohli of betraying him in GHADC polls by not giving ticket, which despite that, he continued to work for the party.
“My second challenge will be to defeat me in 2018. So stupid of him to say that he did not see winability in me. My supporters are not BJP based. People accept me for who I am, not because I am a BJP leader,” he said.
He said that regarding Bachu Marak, he was a sincere leader who did not intend to contest election.
On appointment of new presidents and in-charges in Garo Hills, Marak said that the BJP state president Shibun Lyngdoh has made another mistake by violating the party Constitution as he appointed Presidents over already elected presidents of West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills.
“Shibun Lyngdoh is a puppet of Nalin Kohli,” he said while alleging that Shibun appointed his puppets as District Presidents and in-charges of Garo Hills as these are the people who are opting for BJP tickets.
Meanwhile accusing the BJP of betraying very sincere leaders in Garo Hills, the former militant leader said, “Nalin Kohli is the mastermind who is responsible for the mess. Nalin is the master of these puppets.”