NEW DELHI — Congress’ Shillong MP Vincent H Pala made a faux pas in the Lok Sabha Thursday when he cited Mizoram instead of Meghalaya while moving an adjournment notice on the miners trapped in East Jaintia Hills district.
In his notice for adjournment, he said there was a need to rescue the miners trapped in Mizoram, whereas the 15 miners are trapped in Meglalaya.
The miners are said to be trapped in an illegal coal mine at Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district for the past two weeks.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying while 15 labourers are trapped in a coal mine in Meghalaya since 13 December and are struggling for air, the prime minister “struts about” on Assam’s Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras.
Asking the prime minister to “please save the miners”, Gandhi alleged the government was not organising high-pressure pumps needed for rescue operations.
However, the ruling NPP-BJP combine in Meghalaya rejected Gandhi’s claims, saying the state government was making efforts to rescue them.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, without mentioning Gandhi’s remarks, had said there was no inaction and that the administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had really worked hard to trace the miners, but, unfortunately, the operation did not yield any result.
“15 miners have been struggling for air in a flooded coal mine for two weeks. Meanwhile, PM struts about on Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras. His government refuses to organise high pressure pumps for the rescue. PM please save the miners,” Gandhi had tweeted.