Governor's Rule in BTC will "Doom" BPF Party, Claims Kokrajhar MP

Kokrajhar, May 2, 2020:

"Bodoland People’s Party (BPF) is doomed. It cannot be saved this time. All their Ministers and leaders will be brought to book for their corruption and misdeeds,” commented Gana Surakha Party (GSP) leader and Kokrajhar MP Naba Sarania while expressing his support to Governor’s Rule in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Sarania, through a video message, read out a statement issued by BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary: “Though we are in alliance with the BJP India, we are forced to reconsider our understanding. We are looking at other alternatives. I request Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to look into the matter.”

The Kokrajhar MP explained that the BPF was opposed to the idea of Governor’s Rule in the BTC area and therefore they were thinking of other alternatives. “They have two options in hand. One is that it can withdraw its alliance with the BJP and search for other potential allies and secondly, they can appeal in the court. They have chosen the latter,” said Sarania.

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The BPF had approached the court challenging the appointment of the Governor as the sole authority to run the functions of the BTC, but May 5 has been set as the second hearing date following the no stay order on the first day of hearing.

Naba Sarania has decided to file a case in support of the Governor’s Rule in the area. “We will be able to reinstate the fact that the decision is completely constitutional and BPF will lose. They have the second option to look for other allies. However, I think this is BPF’s drama. They will be helpless once the alliance comes to an end,” he said.

He added, “They have been so arrogant all this while. Their Ministers and leaders will soon be brought to book for their corruption and illegal deeds. This time they cannot be saved.”

Meanwhile, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) has accused the BPF of perpetrating a Rs 1,000 crore corruption and anomalies during their rule. The UPPL has also urged the Assam Governor to initiate an investigation regarding the misappropriation of government funds during the 17 years of rule.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, UPPL CWC member and RTI activist Prithviraj Narayan Dev Mech said that there are reports of Rs 1000 cr anomalies in the BTC administration in various departments including Panchayat & Rural development (P&RD) and Welfare for plain tribes and backward classes (WPT & BC) which have come to the fore in RTI clarification reports.

He informed that the anomalies occurred during the 2012-2019 years in the council and several leaders and contractors were involved.

Making bold claims, Mech further alleged that BPF leaders and contractors are now “stricken with panic” as their corrupt practices could come to the fore in the ensuing period of Governor’s rule.

Mech said that there are more than 1000 crore’s scams in the Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) and Welfare for Plain tribes and Backward classes (WPT & BC) departments in the council where executive members and several contractors were involved, an RTI report revealed.

It may be mentioned here that a petition was filed questioning the power of the Governor of Assam, Jagdish Mukhi to run the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). It has also challenged how he could assume office to exercise all the functions and powers exercisable by the BTC, which falls under the sixth schedule of the Constitution of India.

“The learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners has questioned the power of the Governor of the State, who has assumed the functions of the BTC by submitting that the said order in violation of the mandate of the provisions of Schedule-VI of the Constitution of India,” stated the petition.

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