Shillong(Meghalaya) Jan 16: Newly elected president of the state BJP, Ernest Mawrie said that he was ready to take a delegation of social organisations to Delhi to discuss on the latter’s demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
Speaking to media persons after his election as state party president, Mawrie said, “We will lead the NGOs of the state to Delhi to discuss the issue with central leaders of the party for their demand to implement ILP in the state. That is my promise as the state president of the BJP.”
However, Mawrie did not make any comments on the state BJP’s stand on the demand of the pressure groups and other organisations in the state to exempt Meghalaya from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 saying that the matter was in the Supreme Court and was therefore “subjudice”.
However, he said that 99 per cent of the areas in the state is already exempted from the amended Citizenship Act.
Meanwhile, national secretary of the BJP and election observer, Sunil Deodhar said that the opposition will always create misconception of the decisions taken by the centre.
“But the decision is crystal clear. Every word is in black and white it (CAA) is a law. If there are any questions we are open for discussion we are here to convince the people,” Deodhar said.
Deodhar also said that the party was confident that the two BJP MLAs in the state (AL Hek and Sanbor Shullai) and the state BJP members including its president will be able to convince the people of Meghalaya about the CAA.
It is our duty to convince people. We welcome all types of criticism and we are there to tell people what is what,” Deodhar said.
He also hoped that the state BJP unit will play as a mediator between the people of Meghalaya and the centre.
Earlier, Mawrie was unanimously elected as the president after his lone party minister in the Conrad Sangma ministry, Alexander Laloo Hek and party General Secretary David Kharsati withdrew from the race.
Mawrie was elected president during the party’s state organisation polls held at state’s BJP headquarters on Wednesday in presence of Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar, and State’s BJP legislator Sanbor Shullai.
Hek proposed the name of Mawrie as the president of the Meghalaya’s BJP unit and seconded by Kharsati.
After winning the top post of the state BJP, Mawrie said his top priority to ensure development and growth in the state.
“My focus is to ensure all round development and growth of the state and that is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi too,” he said.
According to Mawrie the BJP government at the centre has sanctioned lots of developmental projects and more are on the pipelines for the development of Meghalaya.
By special arrangement with Highland Post
