Meghalaya polls: Congress attacks BJP for fielding leader accused of running brothel

The Congress on Friday slammed the BJP for making Bernard N Marak, the party’s state unit vice president who was arrested on the charge of running a brothel last year, a candidate in the February 27 Meghalaya assembly election.

The BJP has fielded Marak, also a former militant leader, as its candidate against NPP nominee and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the South Tura constituency.

Seeking a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba said, “You claim to protect women and talk about Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. The women and children of Meghalaya want to know how could you reward the man charged under POCSO Act with a ticket?"

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The police had said in July last year they rescued six minors from Marak’s farmhouse in Tura, which he was allegedly used as a brothel. He was later arrested in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had claimed that Marak, who was out on bail since November, was framed by the CM.

Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Woman and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani are answerable to the people of Meghalaya, Lamba told a press conference.

“Some parties have for their greed and self-interest compromised the well-being of the people and pushed the state from development to destruction,” she claimed.

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Lamba accused the Conrad Sangma government of being involved in various corruption cases.

She asserted that the NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has found that Meghalaya is the fifth poorest in the country and the poorest in the North Eastern part of the country.

Expressing confidence that the Congress will return to power in Meghalaya, Lamba said that the party is the only alternative for the northeastern state.

She said, “The NPP and their alliance partner BJP have a lot to answer to the people of Meghalaya on the high rates of unemployment. Both the NPP and BJP manifestos for 2023 have promised jobs for the youth. But what were they both doing during the last five years?”

The NPP and the BJP are contesting the polls separately this time.