Guwahati: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma on Friday refused to allow a discussion on the recent illegal coal mine blast that killed 33 people earlier this month, citing the sub judice provisions under Assembly rules. The move drew strong protests from the Opposition.
The Speaker said the matter is pending in court and, therefore, cannot be taken up on the House floor.
“I have received that this matter is sub judice and is pending in the court of law. Accordingly, I have taken this decision based on Rule 57, sub-clause 6. I stand by my decision, and the Speaker’s ruling is final,” Sangma said. He added that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had already made a suo motu statement on the incident on Monday.
The ruling followed a demand by Voice of the People Party legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit, who sought a structured discussion on the blast and the broader issue of illegal coal mining. Basaiawmoit argued that repeated invocation of the sub judice rule was preventing legislators from exercising their right to deliberate on public safety issues.
“As a legislature, we have the freedom of speech to discuss matters affecting the people. Courts themselves have recognised that legislative discussion is not barred merely because a case is pending,” he said.
He clarified that members were not seeking to debate guilt or innocence. “We know we cannot discuss judicial conclusions, but we can certainly examine administrative lapses to prevent future incidents. The executive should not hide behind the sub judice provision,” Basaiawmoit added.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mukul Sangma backed the demand, calling it “very relevant.” He stressed the importance of legislative oversight in matters of governance and public safety, suggesting that the government could approach the court to treat the specific incident separately rather than linking it to a broader public interest litigation.
Despite objections from the Opposition, the Speaker refused to revisit his decision. “We will not discuss this further, as I have made my ruling,” he said.
The blast occurred on February 5 in the Thangskai area of East Jaintia Hills, renewing scrutiny of illegal rat-hole mining in Meghalaya despite regulatory restrictions. Opposition parties have repeatedly demanded accountability and a wider debate on why such mining operations continue to function.