Dimapur, April 11 (EMN): The Nagaland unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday reminded the Naga People’s Front (NPF) that the issue of appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP) began from the time of the latter. The recent attack over the issue against Home Minister Y Patton by the NPF is ‘personal’ in nature and a matter of ‘serious concern,’ the BJP stated.
“The desperate attempt by NPF to politicise this issue by putting the entire blame on the individual BJP leader shows the frustrating withdrawal symptoms of being out of power,” a press release from the media cell of the BJP stated.
The BJP stated that during the time of Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s tenure as chief minister he had written a letter ‘dated 1st April 2017’ to the prime minister supporting the ‘7th May 2016’ letter written by TR Zeliang favouring the deputation of Lungriading Zeliang for the post of DGP Nagaland.
The BJP stated further that again in Oct. 2017 the then chief minister TR Zeliang had written to the Union Home minister requesting deputation of officers from other cadres to be DGP for the state. It reminded the NPF that at that point of time Patton was also the Home minister of the state in the then-Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government as an NPF MLA.
After the formation of the People’s Democratic Alliance government the current chief minister had written a letter to the Union Home minister requesting deputation of Lungriading Zeliang as DGP for Nagaland, it stated. Another letter on similar lines was written by current Chief Secretary Temjen Toy to the Union Home secretary, it informed.
The BJP clarified that it was not ‘not against or in favour of any individual / bureaucrat’ if not for the manner by which their leader was ‘singled out.’ It was aimed at tarnishing his image, the party stated. It viewed the attack by the NPF as a serious concern because the issue began from the time of the NPF yet the regional party was blaming only the Home minister. This is ‘totally biased,’ the BJP stated.
