Shangpliang demands VPP led by professors to discipline its supporters following derogatory comments on social media

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 13, 2024

National People’s Party (NPP) spokesperson Himalaya M Shangpliang on Saturday asked the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) to discipline its cadres.

Speaking at an election campaign at Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills District, Shangpliang said majority of the VPP leaders are professors in the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) as well as different colleges. Despite this, there is absolutely no discipline in this party.

He said the VPP president has alleged that church elders are distributing liquor during elections and just yesterday the VPP supporters shamelessly used foul language while commenting in social media against a Catholic priest.

“If you are teaching your supporters to use foul and filthy languages I think you are misleading them. If you are not doing that then I demand the VPP leaders to discipline its cadres or supporters, if their party wants to serve the people,” Shangpliang said.

Referring to the recent Umsning incident, he said, “I want to ask the VPP leaders whether they respect women. If you respect then how come your volunteers and supporters are using foul and filthy language against our candidate Ampareen at Umsning. Is this the quality of your leadership?”

The NPP leader also slammed the VPP for pledging to include Meghalaya under Article 371 for doing away with the autonomous district councils (ADCs), which is safeguarding identity, rights and interests of the indigenous people and their land.

“NPPon the other hand is for strengthening the three autonomous district councils (ADCs). It is the NPP, which is giving more funds to the ADCs to ensure their smooth functioning,” he said while assuring that if people voted for NPP’s candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh, she will definitely conduct a follow and ensure inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.

VPP files 2 FIRs against a facebook page named after its president, derogatory comments by social media users to defame the party

Countering the allegation that NPP and BJP are the same, Shangpliang said, “The BJP and NPP are two different political parties having different ideologies. Both the parties are NDA partners. In Meghalaya, there is also UDP and HSPDP. There is nothing wrong to be alliance partners.”

“Please don’t get fooled by political parties, who are saying if you vote for NPP means voting for BJP. This is totally wrong as NPP has got its own symbol, the NPP’s symbol is the book and BJP is lotus. So you cannot say they are the same,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shangpliang also urged Congress supporters to support the NPP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.