Shillong: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Monday, October 29, hit out at former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who had demanded a probe on the surrender of the HNLC leader, Cheristarfield Thangkhiew.
Sangma, who is the leader of opposition in the assembly, Ahad demanded for a probe to find out whether Tynsong was talking regularly earlier with Thangkhiew, the General Secretary of the banned HNLC, who was hiding in Bangladesh for nearly three decades, surrendered at the police headquarters here on October 18 after entering India from Bangladesh.
“My dignity says that I never had any link with any organisation. My integrity says that not even a single that I have that kind of link what Sangma has alleged. Now because of his failure now he has come with the allegations that Tysong is having a connection with the banned militant outfit,” the Deputy Chief Minister told journalists.
In an e-mailed statement, HNLC General Secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw lauded Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong for the “commendable job” by giving peace a chance.
“Our council has full faith on the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government rather than the Meghalaya United Alliance team government of Mukul Sangma. If the MDA government is opening doors for peace then what problems does Dr Mukul have or is he regretting of not making the peace initiative seriously during his tenure/ We do not have any problem with Dr Mukul Sangma nor his team. It is only time that will decide the fate of his team,” the HNLC statement stated.
The HNLC, which runs hit-and-run operations from its hideout in Bangladesh, has been demanding a sovereign Khasi homeland in Meghalaya.
Meghalaya shares a 443 km border with Bangladesh, part of which is porous, hilly and unfenced and is prone to frequent infiltration.
