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Sangma wants only India-born for other posts too

Prasanta Bora in Shillong

Nationalist Congress Party general secretary Purno A Sangma today extended his argument on restricting the top three posts in the country to those of Indian birth by saying that even the posts of chief minister, Chief Justice of India, and the three defence service chiefs should be held only by India-born citizens.

Expressing this view at the NCP's first convention in Shillong, which also saw the formal merger with the party of the breakaway Meghalaya Congress Legislature Party, Sangma said the Congress had become a 'high command-based organisation' sans democracy.

Accusing the Congress of having always neglected the North-East and politicians from the region, he said that since 1974, when Dev Kanta Barooah became a Union Cabinet minister, he was the only other North-Easterner to be given a Cabinet berth, in the Narasimha Rao government.

Sangma revealed that his induction into the Cabinet followed a forceful representation by the All-India Tribal Welfare Association to the then party high command.

Claiming that the NCP is getting warm response in Assam and Mizoram as well, Sangma promised that his party would see to it that the North-East would have its say in every decision made in Delhi.

Making no bones about his party's stand against the Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, the NCP leader made it clear that it would remain equidistant from both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He added that as far as formation of a coalition government at the Centre was concerned, his party would try for a non-Congress government. He reiterated that in no circumstances could a 'foreigner' be allowed to rule the country.

At today's convention, the MCLP, comprising nine members of the legislative assembly who broke from the Congress under the leadership of L A Sangma, formally joined the NCP. Two independents also joined the party.

About 500 people braved inclement weather to participate in the meeting where P A Sangma announced the name of Robert Kharshing as the party's state unit president.

Sangma made it clear that there would be no electoral alliance with the United Democratic Party, ruling partner of the Congress in the state.

He said his party's potential allies would be the regional parties, adding that the NCP is now in touch with the Trinamul Congress, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal and other like-minded parties.

Talking about his party's policy to contain the insurgency in the North-East, Sangma said militancy would not be tolerated, but a consensus would be worked out to bring all outfits in the region to the negotiating table.

Many former MLAs and ministers as well as representatives from all seven districts of Meghalaya participated in the convention.

UNI

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