NGOs threaten agitation if minister not sacked

Shillong, Oct 27 (UNI) The Joint Action Committee on Assault of Labourer (JCAL) today threatened to agitate if the coalition Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government failed to sack Meghalaya Mining and Geology Minister Donkupar Massar.

Mr Massar has been accused of assaulting four labourers in Borsora in West Khasi Hills district and also the Pongtung village headman Wallambok Lyngdoh in East Khasi Hills district.

Two separate FIRs have been filed against Massar in Ranikor police station in West Khasi Hills and Pynursla in East Khasi Hills district.

'' We have given the government another week's time to sack Massar to prevent manipulation during the course of police investigations. If they failed to do so we have no option but to agitate to put pressure,'' M Marngar told newspersons here after meeting Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge Home H S Lyngdoh.

However, the demand for dropping and arrest of Mr Massar from Cabinet turned political with the JCAL accusing the MPA coalition government and Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Bindo M Lanong of shielding the minister.

Defending his Cabinet colleague, Chief Minister Donkupar Roy denied that his government was trying to protect the minister. ''We have to follow a certain process before initiating action against a minister.'' ''A decision on Massar case will not be political but on the merit of the two cases,'' he added.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has threatened to raise the issue in the winter session of the Meghalaya Assembly if the government fails to take action against the minister.

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