Congress candidate Vincent H Pala says it is wrong to blame Manmohan Singh for CAB

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: Sitting Member of Parliament from Shillong and Congress candidate, Vincent H Pala on Friday filed his nomination papers for the April 11 Lok Sabha election.

Along with Pala, former Mawphlang legislator, Kennedy Khyriem also filed his nomination from the party as a stand-by candidate.

Speaking to media persons after filing his nominations, Pala said that it was wrong to blame former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

“They are wrong to blame former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Let them prove it. There is a Cabinet note regarding Assam and not for Meghalaya. The basic intention to bring the Cabinet note was to protect those who have been harassed by Bangladesh or Pakistan and there is nothing related to Meghalaya,” Pala said.

He pointed out that during the UPA regime, the Cabinet note was confined only to Assam, but the BJP has taken the matter all over the country.

Pala also said that if there was no BJP then the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will also not be there.

The sitting Congress MP from Shillong said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will dilute the custom and culture of the indigenous people of Northeast.

According to the Shillong MP, the BJP wants to create division between majority and minority.

“They know that they are not going to win the election only through division of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and others,” Pala said.

He also said that the issue of influx into the State is a concern even as he said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will be the root cause of influx.

Meanwhile, he also exuded confidence that the Congress will be back in power since the BJP has lost control of big States like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, South India (Karnataka) and Chattisgarh.

“We are going to cross 160 to 170 MPs this time round,” Pala said.

Also read: Meghalaya news