The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Thursday urged Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to remove Temjen Imna Along, Minister for Higher Education, from the Council of Ministers in light of the ongoing Bombay High Court case against him.
“With regard to the Bombay High Court case filed against the Minister for Higher Education Temjen Imna Along, it is imperative that the Rio government take cognizance and drop him from the Council of Ministers,” the RPP said in a press release.
The RPP said that the case, which involves an alleged fraud of Rs. 125 Crores, has captured national attention, yet Along has dismissed the allegations as merely a “normal business dispute,” describing it as “most galling.”
“Temjen Imna Along’s fraud case involving Rs. 125 Crores has made national headlines but his utterance has trivialized cheating and fraud which is condemnable,” the RPP said.
It added that the “stupendous silence” of the State BJP in their refusal to bring their colleague to task shows their double standard as well.
The RPP reminded the State BJP that the Narendra Modi government has called for a “Corruption-free India.” In order to justify this slogan, the State BJP should have been the first to advise Rio to drop the Minister, RPP added.
Further, the RPP said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attaching the properties of two Naga contractors involved in construction of the new Kohima High Court complex though laudable was most overdue. RPP said that, for the first time, the ED has taken cognizance of corruption in the state and that the citizens of this “harried state welcome this news with jubilation.”
The RPP requested the ED to carry this case involving 10 PWD Engineers and 6 contractors to its “logical conclusion.”
It also urged the Chief Minister to give prosecution sanction to the CBI with regard to the involvement of 10 PWD state officials in the new High Court complex case without further delay.
“Along with the 6 contractors, the 10 odd officers were implicated by the CBI but the refusal to give prosecution sanction by Rio’s government gives the impression that the politicians fear implication as well. However, the long arm of the law cannot be evaded and that the Kohima High Court bench has been forced to intervene means that the conscientious people of the state can breathe a sigh of relief,” the RPP said.
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