DIMAPUR, APRIL 11 (MExN): The Nagaland State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said it was amused at the way in which the opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) has alleged that the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Department in-charge, Y Patton is “solely trying to replace DGP, Rupin Sharma.”
“The allegation against the BJP leader who is also the BJP Legislative Party leader is un-warranted and personal in nature. It never expected the so called matured regional party to come to this conclusion and pretend to not know the facts,” said a press note from the Nagaland BJP media cell.
It reminded that during the tenure of Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu as Chief Minister last year, he had written to the Prime Minister on April 1, 2017 supporting the May 7, 2016 letter written by his predecessor TR Zeliang, favouring the deputation of Lungriading Zeliang for the post of DGP Nagaland.
Again on October 31, 2017 , the then Chief Minister, TR Zeliang wrote to the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh requesting the central government for deputation of officers from other cadres to be the DGP, citing shortage of IPS officers of Nagaland cadre. “And the interesting part is that at that point of time Y Patton was also the then Home Minister from NPF party,” the BJP said.
The party stated that subsequently after the formation of the new PDA Government, on March 24, 2018, the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio had written a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also requesting for an officer of sufficient seniority and recommended Lungriading Zeliang for deputation to Nagaland for the post of DGP. Similarly, on March 27, 2018, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy also wrote to the Union Home Secretary on the same lines.
It was only after the first two letters that the Deputy CM “executing his responsibilities on behalf of the State Government , wrote a letter to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the capacity of Home Department in-charge,” the BJP said.
The party clarified that “it is not against or in favor of any individual/ bureaucrat,” however stating that “the manner in which the BJP leader was singled out just to tarnish his good image is a matter of serious concern.” “This subject matter was not a recent issue. So, to entirely blame one individual is totally biased,” it reasoned.
The BJP said that the “desperate attempt by NPF to politicize this issue by putting the entire blame on the individual BJP leader shows the frustrating withdrawal symptoms of being out of power.”
