Boycotting Governor's address an insult to chair: CM

Shillong, March 8 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday termed the opposition Congress boycotting Governor Tathagata Roy's maiden address in the state Assembly over his call to boycott "everything Kashmiri" following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack as an "insult to the chair of the Governor".

"You might have differences of opinion with the Governor in whatever personal points or tweets that he may have done. But I think this is about the chair and you know, this is about the ceremonial process that takes place every year. This is literally an insult to the chair of the Governor," Conrad said.

"You could disagree with a certain individual on his individual comments, but it is not about Tathagata Roy. It is about the Governor of Meghalaya and I think it was not correct for the opposition to do that," the Chief Minister said.

Moreover, Conrad said that the tweet was from Tathagata Roy's twitter account and not from the Governor's official handle.

On February 19, Governor Roy had tweeted: "Don't visit Kashmir, don't go to Amarnath for the next 2 years. Don't buy articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter. Boycott everything Kashmiri. I am inclined to agree."

His comment came after a suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in the Kashmir Valley.

Boycotting Roy's maiden address in the state assembly, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma said that it does not augur well when a person holding a constitutional post engages in this kind of message which is capable of creating a rift among the citizens.

The Congress legislators also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not sacking Roy for his "anti-national" message.