Shillong: NCP general secretary P A Sangma
on Thursday alleged that a breach of protocol took place when a
Bangladesh minister visited Meghalaya recently.
Bangladesh Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Pramode
Mankin, the lone Garo Member of Parliament in Bangladesh, had
come to Tura for four days to attend the 100-drum Wangala
festival last weekend.
"Though the Ministry of External Affairs had issued
instructions to the Meghalaya government to declare him as a
state guest, yet no ceremonial guard of honour was accorded to
the Minister upon his arrival," Sangma said.
Sangma said the External Affairs ministry and Bangladesh
High Commissioner to India had in fact written separately to
the State government informing about the visit of Mankin and
to extend protocol service to him.
"It was only after two days, the Bangladeshi minister was
accorded a state guest honour, that too after I alerted the
Ministry of External Affairs of the alleged protocol breach by
the state government," Sangma claimed.
However, Meghalaya Chief Secretary W M S Pariat denied
the allegations saying "all protocol formalities were
followed."
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009, 21:49