Shillong, Oct 2 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Tuesday said that his government has received inputs on state politicians hobnobbing with militants.
”There are inputs which indicate that there is a nexus between certain politicians of various political parties and militant outfits,” Sangma told IANS.
He added: “We are working on getting further inputs to corroborate with the inputs we already have.”
Sangma's statement assumed significance in the wake of jailed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) chief Champion R. Sangma's declaration that his outlawed outfit would support the ruling Congress in the 2013 assembly elections in five districts of Garo Hills in western Meghalaya.
”I have always maintained that the nexus between politicians cutting across party lines with militants cannot be ruled out and these inputs that we have need to be substantiated,” the chief minister said.
He maintained that in the event of substantive evidence emerging on the nexus between politicians and militants, the provisions of law will prevail.
The chief minister said: “I warn politicians to refrain from piggy-riding on militants as it has dangerous ramifications for the state. But when we are dealing with criminals, we have to deal with the same yardstick.”
Asked to comment on the jailed GNLA chief's declaration to support the Congress in the assembly elections, Sangma said: “The Congress does not need the support of criminals.”
Earlier, the United Democratic Party (UDP), a key ally in Meghalaya's Congress-led coalition government, had accused some Congress leaders of hobnobbing with the outlawed GNLA and has decided to take up the issue with the central government.
”The party (UDP) has taken serious note of some of the Congress leaders' complicity with the outlawed GNLA,” UDP spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh said.
Champion, whose outfit is fighting for a separate Garoland in five districts of Garo Hills in western Meghalaya, was arrested July 30 near the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya. He was accused of waging a war against India.
”The decision of the GNLA to support the Congress in the state assembly elections to be held in 2013 reflects the desperation of the Congress to come to power at any cost,” the opposition National People's Party state unit president W.R. Kharlukhi said.
