Bandh and beef party mar Amit Shah’s Shillong visit

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Members of another organisation called Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) on the other hand protested Amit Shah’s visit by holding a beef party. The demonstrators sang protest songs, distributed beef and displayed placards demanding arrest of the BJP president for allegedly inciting attack and atrocities on minorities. Police however prevented the TUR protesters from reaching the venue where Shah was addressing party workers following which they organised their “beef lunch party” in front of the Raj Bhavan.

Shah, who held a series of meetings with party workers, NGOs, intellectuals and other citizens, however, preferred to keep himself restricted to talking all-round development of the Northeast. He also asked party workers to expose the alleged corruption by the Congress-run governments in the region. The BJP president also focused on improved rail, road and air connectivity to and within the Northeast and called for increased trade and commerce with the neighbouring countries.

He said rapid development of the region would not be possible unless there was significant improvement in road, rail and air connectivity to all the states.

The Centre would provide adequate funds for connectivity and infrastructure in the Northeast, but one must ensure that the funds were not siphoned off, he said.

Shah particularly asked BJP workers in Meghalaya to compile a list of instances of corruption involving the Congress-led government in the state and send it to every household in the form of a booklet. “Exposing misdeeds of the Congress-led governments in the region is very important keeping in view election to the state assemblies in Meghalaya and Assam soon,” he said.

On the first leg of his visit to the Northeast, Shah has so far touched Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur last week. He is coming to Assam next Monday.