Dimapur, February 16 (MExN): Minister for Forest & Environment, Ecology and Wildlife MC Konyak has issued legal notice to altogether fifteen individuals in connection with what was termed as the “defamatory articles” on his visit to Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary, Mon. The minister in a press note stated that in the light of the repeated publication of “utterly false and highly defamatory articles and statements” in connection with his official visit to Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary on December 16, 2009 and January 9, 2010, he was compelled to issue legal notices to all those who had issued the articles and statements. A copy of the legal notice issued by the minister’s lawyer was also enclosed.
The individuals who were served the legal notice included Tangba Konyak, President, ACCC 42 A/C Wakching; Takyong Konyak, General Secretary, DCC Mon; Angyang of Oting Village, Mon; Chingwang, Deputy Angh, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Tunwang, Deputy Angh, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Noksha, Head GB, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Patwang, GB, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Khamwang, GB, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Mongnei, GB, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Lapwang, VCM, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Chemwang, VCM, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Longwang, VCM, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Halwang, VCM, Lower Tiru Village, Mon; Hewang, ex-VDB Secretary, Lower Tiru Village, Mon and Lemton, Lower Tiru Village, Mon.
The legal notice stated that the minister was a prominent public leader and ‘social worker’ and someone who had led an “unblemished political life” and that by virtue of being a ‘socio-political leader,’ the minister had been elected as the MLA from 42 AC Wakching during the last two consecutive general elections. The legal notice further pointed out that since all the newspaper publications have wide circulation and read all over the state of Nagaland and since they contained “defamatory” statements against him, the minister’s reputation had been greatly damaged and “lowered down.”
“The reputation of my client has been made a mockery before the public and despite my client being a senior, respected and popular politician, the public has started believing in the wild allegations made by you, all the addressees, against him and consequently, my client has lost his face among the public,” stated the legal notice which was issued by Zhasakhoto Vupru, Advocate. The legal notice stated that the sole aim of getting the news published in the newspapers was to defame and lower the esteem of the minister in the eyes of the public ‘ particularly his party men, colleagues, associates and leaders and to directly damage and destroy his political career.’
While stating that the Minister had never done any such acts, deeds or things as alleged, the legal notice pointed out that the fifteen individuals were “conducting a trial” of the Minister “through false reports” and playing to the “public gallery” in order to “lynch and assassinate the spotless character and high image of” the Minister. As such, the legal notice has called for tendering of public apology for publishing the highly defamatory statements and articles against the Minister in the newspapers. The public apology must be made within a week of the receipt of the legal notice and that there be “refrain from further publication of such articles in the newspapers in the near future”. It was informed that in the event of failure to carry out the aforesaid requisition, the Minister will be constrained to institute appropriate legal proceedings against all the individuals for damages amounting to Rs Ten crores only.
