Meghalaya assembly speaker blocks debate on illegal coal mine blast, citing sub judice rule

Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, on February 17, refused to allow a discussion on the illegal coal mine blast that killed 33 people earlier this month, invoking the sub judice provisions under Assembly rules and triggering a strong protest from the Opposition.

The Speaker said the matter was pending before a court and therefore could not be taken up on the floor of the House.

“I have received that this matter is sub judice and is pending in the court of law, and accordingly, I have taken this decision based on Rule 57, sub-clause 6. I stand by my decision, and the Speaker’s decision is final,” Sangma said. He added that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had already made a suo motu statement on the incident on Monday.

The ruling followed a demand by Voice of the People Party legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit, who sought a structured discussion on the blast and the wider issue of illegal coal mining. Basaiawmoit argued that repeated invocation of the sub judice rule was preventing legislators from exercising their right to deliberate on matters affecting public safety.

“As a legislature, we have the freedom of speech to discuss issues affecting the people. Even courts themselves have held that legislative discussion is not barred merely because a matter is pending before them,” he said.

He clarified that members were not seeking to debate questions of guilt or innocence. “We know we cannot discuss judicial conclusions, but we can certainly deliberate on administrative failure so that such incidents are prevented in the future. The executive should not hide behind this sub judice provision,” he added.

Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma supported the demand, describing Basaiawmoit’s submission as “very relevant”. He maintained that legislative oversight was essential in cases involving governance and public safety, and suggested that the government could consider approaching the court to treat the specific incident separately instead of linking it to a broader public interest litigation.

Despite the objections, the Speaker declined to revisit his ruling. “We will not discuss this further, as I have made my decision,” he said.

The blast occurred on February 5 in the Thangsku area of East Jaintia Hills district, an incident that has renewed scrutiny of illegal rat-hole mining in Meghalaya despite regulatory restrictions. Opposition parties have repeatedly demanded accountability and a wider debate on why such operations continue to function.