Pro-ILP groups in Meghalaya reiterated their demand to implement the inner-line permit system to check entry of outsiders into the state and condemned the state government for allegedly adopting a dual attitude on the issue.

Addressing a rally at Motphran here to condemn the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government for not implementing the ILP, chairman of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations, Robertjune Kharjahrin said with the publication of the final National Register of Citizen (NRC) in Assam and BJP chief and Union home minister Amit Shah saying that the Centre was determined to implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), Meghalaya needs a strong law to protect the state.

“There is no strong law that can protect the people of the state, except ILP,” Kharjahrin told the crowd at the rally.

Slamming the MDA government, Kharjahrin said CoMSO, a conglomerate of several groups, have played a constructive role by discussing and giving suggestions to the state government on the issue.

“However the state government is adopting a dual attitude towards this issue. On the one hand, it is saying that we oppose the CAB, but on the other, it has never acted to protect the people of the state. The government should understand that opposing the CAB and implementing ILP is the same,” Kharjahrin added.

Stating that CoMSO has been welcoming the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, Kharjahrin said the group welcomed it with a condition that the provisions of ILP should be incorporated.

“We have been demanding that ILP’s teeth should be inserted in the MRSSA,” he said.

Urging the people to continue with the “No ILP no rest” demand, Kharjahrin also urged the people to support the democratic protest being called by the group.

He also tried to reach out to other groups to join hands instead of criticizing each other.

“We want ILP, but not ego. Let’s us work together instead of pulling and blaming each other. If you want, come and lead, and we are ready to follow if there the status on ILP is not changed,” Kharjahrin said.

He also dared all the MLAs who oppose ILP to make their stand clear.

“If anyone from among the MLAs oppose the ILP, we urge them to make their stand clear before the people,” he stated.