Congress Slams BJP for Candidature of Bernard N Marak

SHILLONG: The Indian National Congress has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for giving a ticket to Bernard N Marak for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The polling will be held on February 27 across the state with counting scheduled for March 2.

Bernard N Marak is also the vice president of the Meghalaya unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and was arrested last year on the charges of running a brothel in the state. He is also a former militant leader and will be contesting for the Bharatiya Janata Party against the previous chief minister and the chief of the National People’s Party, Conrad K Sangma for the South Tura assembly constituency of the state.

It is important to note that the state police had reported the rescue of six minors from a farmhouse belonging to Bernard N Marak and it was mentioned to be used as a brothel by the politician. A case was registered and he was later arrested from a location in Uttar Pradesh. The Bharatiya Janata Party however maintained that their candidate was not involved in antisocial activities and that this whole incident was an attempt to frame him by the chief minister. He was later granted bail last year.

Alka Lamba, a spokesperson for the Indian National Congress sought a reply from the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi regarding the granting of a party ticket to him. “You claim to protect women and talk about Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. The women and children of Meghalaya want to know how could you reward the man charged under POCSO Act with a ticket?” she said.

Apart from Narendra Modi, Alka Lamba held Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Woman and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani answerable to the people of Meghalaya for this action.

“Some parties have for their greed and self-interest compromised the well-being of the people and pushed the state from development to destruction,” she added.

She also accused the Conrad Sangma-led Meghalaya Development Alliance government for their involvement in several incidents of corruption in the state. He also mentioned the NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index which showed the state of Meghalaya as the 5th poorest state in the country.

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