Shillong, Sept 9: Senior Congress leader and Education minister, Deborah C. Marak has claimed that the Congress has been strong since the time of the first Chief Minister of the state, Captain William Sangma, and there would be no place for the BJP in a democratic setup like India “where the power lies with the people.”
“We have been politically strong from the time of Capt William Sangma till today. The people of Garo Hills are not able to see a suitable party other than the Congress. There is no place for party like the BJP in a democratic setup like India where the power lies with the people. It is not a party that cares for minorities like us, be it on ethnic lines or religious lines,” Marak said while addressing a Youth Congress convention at Williamnagar, the district headquarter of East Garo Hills district on Saturday.
Taking a jibe at National People’s Party (NPP) national president, Conrad K. Sangma who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Tura, Marak said, “We elected an MP on emotional grounds after the death of Late P.A. Sangma, but emotional decision would not last long.”
She also termed as “unfortunate” that the NPP has aligned with the BJP.
“Now they remain a mute spectator to atrocities being meted out to minorities. The BJP-NPP alliance will campaign in the next elections with the possibility of even Prime Minister setting foot in Garo Hills,” she said.
Boosting the Congress-led government in the state, Marak said, “They (Opposition) will ask what has the Congress done for the state? Look around you. Everything being given by the government has been during the Congress led governments in the state as well as in the Centre. Roads including national highways, healthcare centres like CHCs, PHCs, civil hospitals. They will tell you that they will send crores of rupees for the development of the state, but learn from our neighbors in Assam who are crying because the development that they dreamt of has not come. They are yearning for the time when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister.”
The District Congress Youth Convention at Williamnagar, was organized by the East Garo Hills District Youth Congress.
The meeting was chaired by Vice President, DCC, East Garo Hills, Alphonse R Marak in the presence of Deborah, Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress, Richard Marak, President DCC, East Garo Hills, Sengbath Marak, President, West Garo Hills DYC, Mr Andriano Marak and others.
Jangban Marak was also appointed as the new East Garo Hilly DYC President besides the induction of around 500 new members from other political parties.
