Meghalaya Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong turns the table on Mukul Sangma over charges

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Snubbing former Chief Minister and present leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday bluntly said that the allegations hurled against the present dispensation are a manifestation of the Congress leader’s frustration of seeing the positive progress made by the present Government which runs on collective decisions.

Two days ago, leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma made serious charges on three issues — the process on which the surrendered general secretary of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) came over ground, the alleged random transfer of officers and the alleged involvement of the present dispensation in facilitating illegal mining and transportation of coal.

Tynsong stated that the Mukul Sangma-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government was solely run by him and that he envies the strides made by the present government and that has prompted him to burst out. “He was in the driver’s seat for eight years but he was never able to navigate to the extent of crossing the river; but when we collectively took over and moved forward, he became disappointed,” Tynsong stated.

“Kong Roshan Warjri was the Home Minister then and the erstwhile HNLC general secretary had claimed to have numerous talks on how the outfit should come over ground. Kong Roshan may have spoken to Mukul Sangma (then Chief Minister) but he said no,” stated Tynsong while adding, “His ego could have been the reason for the resentment over our government’s success in bringing overground a leader of the terror outfit.

While Tynsong himself had claimed that he was in touch in the recent past with the surrendered militant till his eventual surrender, he, however, negated the allegations that he may have used the militant groups during the elections. The Deputy Chief Minister alluded to his unblemished dignity and integrity as a politician besides denying any links with any groups or outfits in his career.

Launching a scathing counter-attack on the leader of the Opposition’s accusation on the random transfer of officials because they refused to be henchmen, Tynsong stated, “Transfer of officers is a normal affair. Probably he is scared that some of his blue-eyed officials will have to be touched by the routine exercise.”

The Deputy Chief Minister countered the other accusation on illegal coal extraction as another ploy of the Opposition.