VPP Threatens Secretariat March of 'Lakhs' to Press Eight-Point Demands

Overview

• The Voice of the People Party, after Wednesday’s rally in Shillong, urged citizens to join in “lakhs” for a march to the State Secretariat if the government ignores its charter.
• The party said Meghalaya has no estimate of illegal immigrants and demanded a foolproof drive to identify and deport them, citing Assam’s rising figures as a benchmark and urging that non-citizens be kept out of the next Census and voter rolls.
• The agenda also seeks an Inner Line Permit–style entry rule that requires non-residents to obtain permission to enter protected areas, tighter controls on land transfers to safeguard indigenous ownership, and reforms to public hiring bodies to curb political influence.
• VPP leader Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit questioned how contractor Badri Rai repeatedly won major projects and referenced a past vehicle linked to Rai found with cash during an NPP campaign, framing the claims as calls for transparency in awarding works.
• The party said it will not file written demands and will build pressure through district meetings before the march, while no formal government response was reported and local editorials warned that mass protests could disrupt students and daily life.