Shillong, Aug 30: Education minister Rakkam A Sangma on Thursday drew the ire of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) for a recent “hate speech” while the Speaker expunged a remark of VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit targeted at the minister on the issue.
The four VPP legislators including Basaiawmoit also staged a walkout in protest against the Speaker’s inaction over the minister’s alleged communal remark that, according to Basaiawmoit, could flare up tension between the Khasi and Garo communities.
Accusing Sangma of making communal remark in a recent statement against his party, Basaiawmoit claimed that the remark was well within the parameters of “hate speech”.
The VPP members staged protest inside the assembly just before a short duration discussion on teachers appointed in Dadenggre subdivision in Garo Hills was to be raised.
Referring to the minister’s alleged hate speech, Basaiawmoit said, “I would request the chief minister to kindly take this as a subject to be dealt with in this sitting.”
He also mentioned that an FIR had already been filed against the minister in this regard.
“If I were communal like him (Rakkam), I would not have chosen to associate myself with the Garo people since the late 1980s,” he said urging the government not to be a “hinderance” when it comes to taking action against the minister on such an issue.
As the Speaker rejected the VPP’s demand for taking action against the minister and went ahead with the House proceedings, the VPP legislators walked out of the assembly.
“I will not listen to the education minister. (His hate speech) is in violation against 196 of the BNSS. If the CM or one of the deputy CMs is not addressing the issue, I will not listen,” Basaiawmoit said.
Earlier, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong tried to reason with the VPP members stating that, according to rules, a member shall not make any personal charge against a fellow member while addressing the House.
“The charges (against the minister) are too personal,” said Tynsong justifying the Speaker’s decision to expunge Basaiawmoit’s particular statement targetted at the education minister.
He also accused the VPP of raising the issue in the House without any provision.
