Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party president Conrad K Sangma on Monday said that his government had no role in denying permission for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Tura town of West Garo Hills’s district, PTI reported.
“All permissions come from the side of the Election Commission of India,” Sangma said in a statement. “So, there is no say from NPP or my side.”
Modi was scheduled to address a poll rally at the PA Sangma Sports Complex in Tura on February 24.
However, on February 19, the Meghalaya sports department said that the complex was undergoing construction and was not fit to host a rally.
“It will not be fit to host such a big gathering at the stadium as construction work is still going on and materials kept at the site may be of safety concerns,” District Electoral Officer Swapnil Tembe had told PTI. “An alternate venue is being considered.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party had criticised the Meghalaya government saying it cannot understand how a newly-built stadium was deemed unfit. It had alleged the National People’s Party, a former ally of the saffron party, was trying to stall the “wave of the BJP” in the state.
The stadium, built at a cost of Rs 127 crore, was inaugurated by Sarma on December 16, according to PTI.
The BJP and National People’s Party had severed ties ahead of the Assembly election in the state on February 27. The result of elections will be announced on March 2.
On Monday, Sangma clarified that only a part of the stadium was inaugurated in December.
“The stadium has two parts,” he said. “The first part consists of the football stadium, which was inaugurated. The other part, which has an indoor stadium and a swimming pool, is not ready and we have made it clear.”
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