Shillong, Jan 29: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council chief executive member, H.S. Shylla on Tuesday said that the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has lost people’s faith and alleged that the government’s stand against the Citizenship Amendment Bill was only a “lip service” as the same government rejected the demand to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) to tackle influx problem.

“Though they oppose the Bill but did not want to implement ILP. We have lost faith in the MDA government and its opposition against the citizenship bill is just a lip service. I have told the chief minister Conrad K Sangma that you need not go to Delhi, and instead give us ILP,” Shylla told reporters on Tuesday while referring to the KHAD (Inner Line as adapted from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873) Regulation Bill, 2018 passed by the KHADC to tackle influx.

Shylla said that the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, listed under the United Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills District (Application of Laws) Regulation, 1952 still operates as per a ruling passed by the Supreme Court.

He said that like every other piece of legislation, the regulation continued to operate and remained effective until it is either annulled or repealed under some legislative power.

Shylla alleged that the KHAD (Inner Line as adapted from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873) Regulation Bill, 2018 has not got the assent of the Governor because the MDA government was not willing to implement ILP.

He said that many important legislations passed by the KHADC have made to go through the District Council Affairs department of the state government before sending them to the Governor though there was no such provision.

Stating that the people would reject the NPP and its main ally the UDP in the upcoming elections to the KHADC and JHADC, Shylla said, “It is of no meaning to vote for these parties because their objective of winning elections is just for the sake to get employment but not to make and implement laws that can protect the indigenous people.”

Reiterating that opposing the Citizenship Bill by the MDA government is only an “eye wash,” Shylla took a jibe at the Chief Minister saying, he (Conrad) knows only how to speak good English, but he does not understand the law.

“We need ILP and the Chief Minister who understands the law, but not a good English speaking Chief Minister,” Shylla said.

Shylla accused the NPP and UDP of not wanting to implement ILP and the Chief Minister had termed ILP a 100-year-old law, because parties in the MDA government have to obey the BJP.

“The MDA government gave excuses because the BJP does not want such a law to be implemented. The BJP is preventing the implementation of ILP, and the NPP and UDP did not dare to say anything against the BJP,” Shylla slammed.

Shylla also slammed the previous government Congress-led government led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma for bringing the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 which he said; this law would further facilitate influx, unlike ILP that can prevent settlement of outsiders.

“Even if the Centre would implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill by force, we can still protect ourselves if ILP is implemented,” Shylla said.

When asked why Shylla who was the MLA, as well as member of the district council for the past many years did not pursue the demand for ILP, Shylla said that he came to know about the provisions of the law only from a memorandum of the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council which was submitted to the then chief minister, Mukul Sangma.

Whether Shylla would leave the NPP he had also coined as a “No Permanent Party,” he KHADC CEM said that the NPP leadership was not happy with him especially for demanding the implementation of ILP and would resign from the party any time.

“The NPP is also a ‘No Principle Party’ and ‘No Policy Party,” he lambasted.