Probe surrender of HNLC militant leader: Meghalaya opposition leader

Shillong  :  Meghalaya opposition leader Mukul Sangma on Sunday asked the ruling National People's Party government and investigating agencies to probe the surrender of the most wanted Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) leader, Cheristarfield Thangkhiew, to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.

Thangkhiew, the General Secretary of the banned HNLC, who was hiding in Bangladesh for nearly three decades, surrendered at the police headquarters here on October 18 after entering India from Bangladesh following several rounds of discussions between his family and Tynsong.

The secessionist leader, however, said he had "no regrets" for the killings that the HNLC had committed since he knew what he was doing.

"Who has authorised to talk to them (HNLC) (should) be found out... whether it was a politician who has been talking to them all these years and they become a facilitator. The law is very clear and nobody has the luxury of having that freedom to talk to any member of the banned outfit. The government and the investigating authorities should find out and we (opposition Congress) will press for that," Sangma told journalists.

"We have to find out also whether Tynsong (Deputy Chief Minister) was talking regularly earlier... Whether he was in talk with this guy (HNLC general Secretary) the whole year. May be they have used him during the last election. We should find out," he added.