SHILLONG: Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie has backed his party colleague Bernard Marak, saying the police raid at his farmhouse was a “political vendetta”.
“I have personally spoken respected persons in Tura and surrounding areas and I have come to the conclusion that Marak has been unjustly framed and maligned,” Meghalaya BJP chief Ernest Mawrie said.
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He added: “It appears that he is a victim of a political vendetta.”
“It is also very clear that it is a political vendetta as Bernard Marak’s mother’s house was also raided without any warrant. This is pure harassment,” Meghalaya BJP chief Ernest Mawrie further said.
He also urged the Meghalaya government to “withdraw all charges against him (Bernard Marak) which are politically motivated and with the intension of maligning the party’s (BJP) image”.
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Also read: Meghalaya: ‘CM Conrad Sangma directed police to gun me down’, says state BJP VP Bernard Marak
Earlier, Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak accused chief minister Conrad Sangma of directing the police to gun him down.
“Conrad Sangma has directed the police to file a case against me and to gun me down,” Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak said.
The Meghalaya BJP vice president further said that he is “not absconding” and “not trying to evade arrest”.
“I am just trying to be safe and bring out the truth in front of the public,” the Meghalaya BJP vice president said in a video message.
Bernard Marak further rubbished the allegations levelled by the Meghalaya police that he was running a prostitution racket at his farmhouse near Tura.
“They have accused me of running a brothel, a prostitution racket, which is totally false,” Marak said.
Also read: Mizoram: Lone BJP MLA, 12 other Chakma leaders convicted in graft case
He added: “Actually I am helping the under privileged children to study. Even in that farmhouse I was keeping not less than 9-10 students.”
“Even the children taken into custody by the police are sponsored by me,” Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak said.
Stating that NPP is trying to thwart the rise of the BJP in Garo Hills, Marak said that he is just being a victim of a “political conspiracy”.
Notably, Bernard Marak has been accused of running a prostitution racket at his farmhouse near Tura in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.
Notably, Meghalaya police has claimed that the farmhouse of state BJP vice president Bernard Marak’s farmhouse at Tura in West Garo Hills district was used as a brothel.
The Meghalaya police made this claim following a raid on Friday night (July 22) at Rimpu Bagan farmhouse of Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak.
Also read: Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak’s farmhouse used as brothel: Police
A total of 73 people, including 24 girls, were taken into custody by the Meghalaya police following the raid.
The police also rescued five children – four boys and a girl – who were kept under lock and key in unhygienic conditions.
Notably, the Bernard Marak was the former chairman of a disbanded militant group and had more than 25 criminal cases against him since the early 2000s.