Aizawl: Mizoram opposition party BJP on Monday wrote to chief minister Zoramthanga urging him to drop minister R. Lalzirliana from his cabinet over his controversial remarks on enhancement of power to the three Autonomous District Council (ADCs) in the state.
Lalzirliana is the senior most minister in the present Zoramthanga led Mizo National Front (MNF) front government holding various portfolios, including Power and Electricity, Art and Culture and District Council and Minority Affairs.
During a budget discussion on February 23, the former Congress minister, had said that the erstwhile Congress government was playing a drama and acting as if it supported the amendment to the sixth schedule of the constitution for enhancement of power to the three ADCs in the southern part of the state.
“We were playing a drama and pretending to support enhancement of power and direct Central funding to the ADCs just to woo votes,” Lalzirliana had said during an argument with opposition members over the MNF government’s negative comment on amendment of the sixth schedule.
Mizoram has in its southern part three ADCs – the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) and the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) constituted under the sixth schedule in 1972.
The minister’s remarks have snowballed into controversy with various organisations from the three ADC areas and opposition parties coming down heavily on him.
The BJP said that the recent remarks by the minister over amendment to the sixth schedule of the constitution was an insult to the people of the three ADCs.
“The minister has brought an insult to both the government and the assembly by disclosing that political parties were lying to the people of ADCs only to win votes. As his remarks are a grave insult to the people, he is no longer competent to look after his departments. Therefore, we urge you to drop him from the cabinet,” the BJP said in its letter to the CM.
Central Young Lai Association (CYLA), the largest civil society group in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, headquarters of LADC, and other associations, including Lai Women’s Association, also blamed the minister for his alleged derogatory remarks.
The CYLA in a statement on Monday urged Lalzirliana to apologise for his remarks in the assembly house during the ongoing budget session.
It also urged the chief minister to drop him from District Council and Minority Affairs.
Lalzirliana is the senior most minister in the present government.
The 73 year-old MNF leader has successfully contested the assembly polls for five consecutive terms since 1998 from Saitual (now Tawi) constituency.
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He was a key Congress leader during opposition (1998-2008) and became home minister in the erstwhile Lal Thanhawla ministry from 2008 to 2018.
He resigned as minister, quit Congress and joined the MNF before the assembly polls in 2018.
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