Shillong, March 30: BJP MDC in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Bernard Marak, has claimed that he had earlier raised the issue of restricting non-tribals from contesting District Council elections, but the proposal was rejected by the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
Speaking to the media, Marak said he had brought up the matter during a GHADC session in September last year, but it was dismissed as he belonged to the opposition.
He alleged that the NPP is now taking credit for the same proposal, which it had previously ignored. According to him, the ruling party only acted after recent tensions surfaced in the region.
Marak further stated that his proposal aimed to strengthen the importance of Scheduled Tribe status in District Council elections.
He added that if the NPP claims ownership of the move, it should acknowledge that the issue had already been raised earlier, and that the public is aware of the role played by different political parties in the matter.
