GUWAHATI: The BJP in Meghalaya said Governor Satya Pal Malik had promised an "independent" probe into the case of its arrested state vice president Bernard Marak.
The police had accused the militant-turned-politician Marak of running a "brothel" from his farmhouse at Tura in West Garo Hills district.
A delegation of state BJP leaders met Malik on Monday and submitted a memorandum to him.
BJP's Meghalaya president Ernest Mawrie said the governor promised that an independent inquiry committee would be constituted. The BJP delegation told Malik party leaders and workers were being "harassed" as part of a "political vendetta".
It also lodged a complaint with him alleging the state government denied permission to the party to hold a peace rally in Tura and Shillong.
Mawrie said he would meet Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and insist on an independent probe. The BJP is also demanding the removal of the SP and the DM of West Garo Hills to ensure a free and fair inquiry.
"For the first time, Meghalaya is witnessing political vendetta. We fear this will set a politically-vindictive trend in our state," Mawrie said.
The BJP sniffed the hand of its ally National People's Party (NPP) in the events leading up to Marak's arrest. The BJP and the NPP, which Sangma heads, are allies and constituents of the state's coalition government.
Asked if the BJP will withdraw its support to the government, Mawrie said the party's central leaders would take a call. He said the details on the raid at Marak's farmhouse and events that followed had been shared with them.
Marak was arrested in Uttar Pradesh by the police of that state and brought to Meghalaya last Wednesday. He was produced in a local court the same day and it sent him to eight days' police remand.