Dimapur July 18 (MExN): Congress has alleged that Nagaland Home Minister Thenucho “confessed” to the Central Government that the Nagaland Home Ministry can no longer contain the volatile law and order situation in the state and towards this, called for the intervention of the centre implied as for President’s Rule. The ‘confession’ was made during Nagaland government’s delegation to New Delhi that met the Centre mid-May, this year.
“When he along with his colleagues went to New Delhi in Mid-May 2006, Mr. Thenucho confessed to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patel, Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister for Programme Implementation and Statistics, Oscar Fernandes (who is also the Congress’ in-charge for the North East and involved in the Naga peace talks), the Indian National Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, former Home Minister LK Advani and former Defense Minister George Fernandes, that the Nagaland Home Ministry was not able to contain the law and order situation in the state” according to V Lasuh, Ex-Congress I candidate of 17 Chizami A/C.
“He urged and put across to them with fervor that the Central Government must intervene. That was an invitation for a Presidential Rule As a reaffirmation of his fears and inefficiency, Mr. Thenucho in the meantime pleaded to churches to pray for the trouble-torn state of Nagaland, lest it reels under more law and order problems. He virtually surrendered his power as the Home Minister there and then.” Lasuh asserted.
Lasuh demanded that Thenucho step down from the post of Home Minister on moral grounds, “as a regularly self-professed good Christian” and if not, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is ‘duty-bound’ to remove him. Failure to act on this would “embarrass” the government, the candidate asserted.
“It is the bounden duty of the Chief Minister to relieve Mr. Thenucho of his present portfolio. Such act may not be the most pleasant thing for the Chief Minister to do but it will be for the utmost good of the state. That will also ensure that the State Government be not embarrassed in the future by an unfit person occupying a most significant office in the state. Presently, Mr. Thenucho’s boots are too big for him” the Congress candidate lamented.
More charges of inefficiency were also leveled. “When in January 2006 the official entourage of the Chief Minister came under trouble because of the high-handed Security Forces near Zubza, Mr. Thenucho did not do anything as the Home Minister should do about the drama. His responsibility was to intervene with finality and even issue necessary clarifications through the media. But he was either not aware of the power of the Home Minister’s Office to do so or was scared if he knew” Lasuh maintained adding that there is no other reason to explain why Thenucho remained silent.
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