Shillong: The National President of the National People’s Party (NPP), Conrad K Sangma, on Monday strongly refuted allegations made by the BJP that he was responsible for denying permission for a rally by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the P.A. Sangma Sports Complex in Tura.
Sangma has stated that he had no involvement in the decision to deny permission for the Prime Minister’s rally and that all permissions for rallies are granted by the Election Commission of India. He emphasized that the district administration had followed the directives issued by the ECI.
Sangma said on Monday, “All permissions come from the Election Commission of India, and the district administration takes action based on its direction. Therefore, there is no influence from the NPP or me. Dragging our names into it is completely wrong. Even I haven’t received permission for many of my rallies.”
Sangma also commented that such situations are not uncommon during elections, but the BJP has blown it out of proportion. He explained that the P.A. Sangma Sports Complex in Tura has two parts, with the Football Stadium being the only part that is ready and has been inaugurated by the state government. However, the indoor stadium and swimming pool are still under construction and not yet ready for use.
Sangma further stated that the Football Stadium is the largest pre-engineered composite stadium in the country and the first natural ground of international standard in the State. The inauguration of this stadium by the State Government under his leadership took place on December 16, 2022, in the West Garo Hills District.
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It was clarified that only the football ground at the P.A. Sangma Sports Complex in Tura was inaugurated, and the other parts of the stadium, including the indoor stadiums with facilities like a Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Table Tennis Hall, Squash Hall, and Badminton Hall, are still under construction. These components are expected to be completed and inaugurated by December 2023, he said.
When asked about the reasons for not granting permission for the rally, Conrad K Sangma suggested that the district administration might have been concerned about the size of the crowd that a rally by Prime Minister Modi would attract. He added that since the sports complex has a natural turf, there was a possibility that a large gathering could damage it. Furthermore, the lack of adequate parking facilities in the area may also have been a factor.
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