Shillong, Sept 4: Two Independent MLAs Robinus Syngkon and Justine Dkhar, who would be joining BJP, said that they wanted to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Meghalaya and assure the people of the state on issues related to ban on coal mining as well as religious matters.

“We have requested the BJP leadership to get an audience for us with the Prime Minister as we wanted him to visit the state and clarify on these matters,” Syngkon said.

Dkhar, said that during their meeting with BJP leaders in New Delhi recently, they had mentioned two ways of resolving the ban on coal mining in the state.

“The two ways include by reducing the powers of the NGT and the other by invoking Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule to exempt Meghalaya from the provisions of the central laws through a presidential notification,” he said.

He said that they also wanted to meet the President of India besides the Prime Minister to seek their intervention to find solution to the ban on coal mining in the state.

When asked if they have joined the BJP, both Syngkon and Dkhar said that they were ready to join the BJP only if solution could be found out to end the ban on coal mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
“There is no move to join the BJP as of now. We have placed our conditions before the BJP and they have assured us to look into it,” Syngkon said.
They also said that they are still part of the Congress-led government since they are to resign as parliamentary secretaries.

On the claim of the BJP that they have already joined the BJP, Syngkon said that it was only a communication gap between the state leaders and Central leaders of the BJP, when they met BJP national president, Amit Shah in New Delhi.