Aizawl: The Mizo National Front (MNF) has accused the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government of misleading the public regarding their stance on corruption and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
During a press interaction on Tuesday, the MNF Legal Board criticized the ZPM government for not granting general consent to the CBI, which they argue demonstrates a lack of genuine commitment to fighting corruption.
“The ZPM government is not truly interested in combating corruption. If they were, Chief Minister Lalduhoma would have approved the general consent for the CBI, as he has often talked about,” said an MNF official. They argued that the government should not waste time selectively deciding which cases the CBI should investigate, suggesting that this selective approach could be used to protect allies and target opponents.
The MNF highlighted that the ZPM government’s current policy requires the CBI to seek approval from the state government for each case it wishes to investigate.
They accused the ZPM government of recommending select cases for CBI investigation, which the MNF claims is an attempt to control the narrative and limit the scope of anti-corruption efforts. “This selective consent shows that the ZPM government and the Chief Minister are using the CBI for political ends, which is unprecedented in Mizoram and a regrettable development in our Christian state,” the MNF official added.
The MNF Legal Department challenged the ZPM government to allow the CBI to investigate alleged high-profile corruption cases on their part, including alleged fake open tenders under the Home Department, the misuse of funds by the Lok Sabha MP meant for grape farmers, and the misallocation of over 100 lakhs from the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
They further claimed that expectations were high for the ZPM party, which had campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and made its candidates take vows against corruption.
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The Chief Minister had stated on December 8, 2023, that one of the government’s goals within the first 100 days would be to grant general consent to the CBI. This was reiterated in the first assembly session, where the Chief Minister instructed the Chief Secretary to proceed with the consent. Following these instructions, the Vigilance Department issued a notification on December 28, 2023, granting the CBI jurisdiction to investigate offenses in Mizoram under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
However, the MNF expressed disappointment with the recent amendment to the Mizoram Lok Ayukta Act, 2014, which reclassified the ‘Director of Inquiry and Prosecution’ as the ‘Chief Inquiry Officer and Public Prosecutor’ at the Deputy Secretary level. They argued that this change undermines the effectiveness and independence of the Lok Ayukta in addressing corruption.
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