ACAUT accuses Nagaland police, NPF
Source: The Sangai Express

Dimapur, July 17 2016: Nagaland corruption watchdog Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) accused the Nagaland police and Naga People's Front (NPF) of "defending" Nagaland Government in connection with the fuel adulteration issue.

ACAUT said that Nagaland police has broken every protocol and propriety by donning the role of Government spokesperson.

"It is the Government which should be defending itself, not the police or NPF Central for that matter," ACAUT said today in a press release.

Regarding protocol, it is the Government's spokesperson that should be defending the Chief Minister or conveying the Cabinet's decision instead of a PRO of Nagaland police, it stated.

Most importantly, the Nagaland police headquarters cannot term ACAUT Nagaland's apprehension as baseless, the corruption watchdog added.

"If our apprehension is baseless, the ACAUT challenges the police headquarters to make public all cases where Special Investigation Teams (SITs) instituted by the police headquarters have settled cases and individuals imprisoned.

If not, the press release by PRO, Nagaland Police and SP (C), Myinthungo Tungoe stands ridiculed.

If the police headquarters can guarantee that the SIT would be free from bias and political interference, the ACAUT can give it the benefit of doubt.

But as thing stands, the police headquarters has already revealed its bias by defending the government even before the SIT has started its probe and therefore, the ACAUT cannot believe that the SIT would be free from undue influence", ACAUT press note added.

Regarding NPF Central, ACAUT said that it can only conclude that the chronic habit of political parties and Naga outfits accusing it as acting on behalf of some agency is a deliberately made-up propaganda to mislead the people.

The public are not fools to believe busy-bodies which have lost all credibility.

The NPF Central is also reminded that the ACAUT is not an NGO nor would like to behave like one since acting like one would mean that it has been "bought" by the government, ACAUT also said.

The press statement of the corruption watchdog then said that the apprehension of repercussion by NPF Central for its Government failure is well understood but twisting the fact which in black and white is desperate attempt to pre-empt Government failure upon ACAUT in the event that public choose to come to the street.

ACAUT press release stated that "the silence of the Chief Minister and the Government for such a long period on such grave issues would have in any other States led to massive street protests and unwarranted situations, even death", this statement which was reconstructed with evil design by NPF central as "suggesting that riots, violence and deaths could take place in itself, would indicate that criminal intentions are being harboured" to this ACAUT can only conclude it is rather the NPF central which is inciting public to be on the street and Naga public should note it.

The NPF Central issuing a statement instead of the state Government reveals that the State Government is unable to defend itself on the fuel adulteration issue perhaps because the department responsible of siphoning off kerosene is under the Chief Minister", it stated.

ACAUT then said that if the Government and NPF Central mean what it says and in all sincerity want to show to the people that it seriously intent to get to the bottom of the fuel adulteration issue then they must demonstrate it by calling in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The business of fuel adulteration has been going on for quite a while and it's an open secret to all, it's just that the issue has now come in the public domain, thus ACAUT would like to remind that unlike other SIT reports and cases in the past which never been under so public scrutiny the outcome of this case will very much determine the credibility of the government, the integrity of the police department and the judiciary, thus any shortage in delivery of justice would be a direct affront to the public who know all too well now," it added.

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