Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a coalition partner in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) 2.0, has strongly criticized the state government for allegedly usurping tribal land.

The party's vice president and Tura MDC, Bernard N Marak, raised the issue in the wake of public outrage over the demolition of a World War I cenotaph in Tura.

Marak accused the state government of violating the Sixth Schedule and encroaching on tribal land without the consent of tribal leaders or elected representatives of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). He claimed that the war memorial is located on tribal land and that the government's actions are a blatant disregard for tribal rights.

Despite the state government's decision to halt the redevelopment work and form a new committee under the chief minister's supervision, Marak remains unsatisfied. He stated that the issue of land grabbing still stands and that the government must address it.

The GHADC is in the process of issuing notices to various departments regarding the matter, and Marak warned that departments failing to comply would face legal action.