Amidst escalating public calls for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, State BJP President Rikman G Momin on Saturday assured that he would personally take up the demand with the central leadership in Delhi. Emphasizing that ILP, if beneficial, should be considered seriously, Momin said the BJP is not shying away from the issue and will support what is best for the state.
“Definitely, for the betterment of the state, if required, I will go to Delhi, I will request on behalf of our people,”
Momin said. Recalling the state Assembly’s earlier stand, he added, “Last time, a resolution was passed in the state Assembly by all the 60 legislators. The elected members passed the resolution and people are happy about that. It depends on the central government and our Chief Minister, how he handles it with them.”
Asserting that the BJP holds no hesitation on ILP, he stated, “Why should BJP shy away? If it is good for the state, I think the central leaders will think about it and sort it out.” However, he warned against over-relying on ILP alone for public safety: “When there is ILP also, everywhere there is killing. It’s not that because of ILP, the killing will stop. But there should be some mechanism to check this type of activities.”
Speaking on the Sonam Raghuvanshi murder case that shook the state, Momin strongly praised the police’s handling of the situation, saying it salvaged Meghalaya’s reputation.
“That of course is already tarnished, but now after Meghalaya Police have cracked the case, once again I will say I salute police for their prompt action and they have saved the face of Meghalaya. Frankly speaking, they have saved the face of Meghalaya and their effectiveness also they have shown. Though whatever it may be, you cannot just immediately stop any social media for tarnishing Meghalaya for the Sonam Raghuvanshi case. So, according to me, I will say that Meghalaya has been saved by Meghalaya Police only,” he said.
