Shillong, May 11 : The political debate surrounding Meghalaya’s reservation policy has taken a sharper turn after the BJP accused the Voice of the People Party (VPP) of avoiding direct discussion on an issue the party has repeatedly raised through protests and public campaigns.
The criticism comes after the VPP boycotted the recent all-party meeting convened by the state government to discuss the Expert Committee report on the reservation policy.
Reacting to the boycott, Meghalaya BJP general secretary Wankitbok Pohshna said the VPP should have attended the meeting and presented its concerns before the government instead of staying away from the discussion.
“If the issue was important enough to organise rallies and public protests, then the party should also have participated in the meeting meant to discuss the matter,” Pohshna said.
He argued that the all-party meeting gave political parties an opportunity to examine the recommendations of the Expert Committee, raise objections and seek clarification if required.
According to Pohshna, even if the VPP believed that enough discussion did not take place during the Assembly session, the all-party meeting still provided a democratic and constitutional platform to continue the conversation.
He also questioned the VPP’s demand for reservation based strictly on population ratio, saying the Expert Committee would likely have examined constitutional provisions, legal limitations and Supreme Court observations before preparing its recommendations.
“Any apprehension or disagreement regarding the report could have been discussed during the meeting itself,” he added.
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Pohshna further stated that sensitive policy matters should be debated within institutional and constitutional forums rather than through continued political confrontation outside official discussions.
The VPP, however, defended its decision to boycott the meeting.
Party spokesperson Dr Airpeace W Rani on Saturday said the move was based on “principle and constitutional propriety,” maintaining that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly — and not an all-party meeting — should have been the primary forum for a detailed debate on the reservation issue.
The VPP has continued demanding a review of the reservation structure based on population ratio and insists that such an important matter should be discussed transparently inside the Assembly.
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