Meghalaya: Congress accuses NPP-BJP of relying on illegal coal money for horse trading

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: With the Congress now left without a single legislator in the Meghalaya Assembly, state party chief Vincent H. Pala has launched a scathing attack on the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). He alleged that the NPP-led government is “totally dependent” on illegal coal cartel money to fund horse trading and maintain its political dominance in the state.

His remarks come after the Congress lost its last legislator in the Assembly following the exit of Ronnie V. Lyngdoh.

Targeting the NPP-BJP alliance, Pala said, “It is an open secret; there is nothing to hide. If you take one truck of coal from Jaintia Hills to Guwahati, you have to pay a huge amount. All the coal has been sold openly. Maybe the press has not done proper homework, but this has been highlighted in the Assembly by Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh. Ironically, some of those who spoke loudly against it in the past are now part of the cartels themselves. The claim that coal has vanished due to rain is just an excuse—everybody knows that is not true.”

Accusing the ruling alliance of being “knee-deep” in the illegal coal trade, Pala further alleged, “Not only the big names but even the small ones—everyone in the government is involved in the coal cartel. Right from NPP and BJP functionaries, all are part of it. They are totally dependent on this illegal coal money for their dealings and horse trading.”

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