BJP demands suspension of ROs in Meghalaya
Shillong, Feb 12 : Meghalaya unit of the BJP today demanded suspension of two Returning Officers (ROs) of West and South West Garo hills districts allegedly sabotaging the election rallies of the party MPs -- Bijoya Chakraborty and Smriti Irani -- by providing the wrong helicopter landing permission.
In a letter a complaint lodged with the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Naik, the BJP alleged that the returning officers of both the districts provided wrong helicopter landing permission as a result of which the chopper could not land and the party's election rallies in both the districts had to be cancelled.
The complaint letter written by the BJP Meghalaya unit president HS Syiemlieh, a copy of which was sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, said the helicopter campaign tour of Chakraborty and Irani was sabotaged by the deputy commissioners of West and South West Garo hills.
The complaint stated that on February 12 the details of helicopter landing permission and technical information given by the district administrations of the two district to the BJP workers to be passed on to the helicopter pilots turned out to be "incorrect".
"Because of the wrong information provided by the district administrations, the helicopter carrying the two VIPs were hovering in the air for hours posing serious threats to their life," Mr Syiemlieh said.
He said the helicopter had no option but to somehow return to Guwahati safely as a result of which the election meetings had to be cancelled.
The BJP President said this resulted in huge loss of resources and disappointment amongst the public who were waiting for the two party leaders to address the meeting which had to be cancelled.