AICC wants report on Deborah’s nexus

SHILLONG, NOV 13: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Party (MPCC) will submit a report on the alleged nexus the state social welfare minister Deborah Marak with the GNLA to the party’s high command by next week. Congress sources said that Marak, who is the working president of the MPCC, is likely to be dropped from the party’s post.

The decision to prepare the report came after the AICC directed the MPCC following the recent maiden visit of its secretary in charge Meghalaya V Narayanasamy to the state.

“We will submit a report along with paper clippings on the case of Deborah Marak to the AICC tentatively by next week,” MPCC chief DD Lapang told newsmen after his meeting with the chief minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday.

Lapang informed that he had also told the chief minister that the AICC wants to get some report from the party side on the issue.  He also said the AICC in charge Meghalaya has also contacted him on the matter.

“Samyji, said that he had met the AICC president Sonia Gandhi and she has directed the MPCC to submit a report.”

Informing that he had also met Deborah Marak, Lapang said, “She told me that since the matter has gone to the court, she would not like to divulge things because her lawyers will not handle the case in the court.”

The CJM court  in East Garo hills has issued summon notice directing the minister to appear before the court on Friday. The summon notice was issued by the court while taking cognizance of the charge-sheet filed by the police.

Deborah Marak, a four time legislator from Williamnagar constituency, has been charged sheeted by the police for using the GNLA militants to intimidate voters in the last state assembly elections even as she denied the police claims. Marak had also maintained that she would not shy away but to appear before the court.

Reacting to query whether this has affected the party in Meghalaya, Lapang said, “Party colleagues have expressed concerns and regrets over such thing which will definitely not only affect her (Deborah) alone but affect the government and the party since she is also the working president of the party.”

Stating that Deborah’s case has to be proved in the court of law, Lapang, however,  also said, “But in the meantime the first priority is about the observation of the AICC which will first of all have to hear from the government side as  the chief minister has to inform.”- By Our Reporter