Editor apologises to Meghalaya assembly privilege committee

The editor of an English daily today apologised in person before the Meghalaya assembly Privilege Committee for her article which targeted the members who raised public issues in the house.

The privilege motion against Patricia Mukhim, the editor of 'Shillong Times' had been lodged by former MLA John Leslee K Sangma.

Committee chairman Saleng A Sangma told mediapersons, "We have examined the matter and went through the article (by Patricia Mukhim) and we have expressed our dissatisfaction.

"Mukhim has apologized and that is why this case has been concluded. The committee will submit its report to the house soon," he said.

The editor had criticised and ridiculed publicly an issue raised by the former assembly member during the budget session last year following which the privilege motion was lodged with the speaker.

John Leslee K Sangma had raised the issue in the House that indigenous tribal dishes should be served at the various state houses and Mukhim had criticised it.

He found Mukhim's article had breached the privilege of the House as well as that of the members and had lodged a complaint with the then Speaker A T Mondal, who had referred the matter to the Privilege Committee.

The Committee has said that an Assam-based web portal will soon be served notice for allegedly publishing a picture of committee chairman Saleng A Sangma in its assault report, which too took place last year.

The report was about an MLA who had allegedy assaulted a person in South Garo Hills last year. Instead of the photo of he assaulter, the portal had carried a photo of Saleng, which had angered him.