Teachers appointment scam: BJP leader Nalin Kohli defends recommendation by public representatives

Shillong, Jan 6: BJP national spokesman, Nalin Kohli asked chief minister Mukul Sangma and his cabinet colleague Ampareen Lyngdoh not to indulge further in corrupt practices, even as he defended public representatives who allegedly involved in the education scam by recommending their own candidates for appointment as teachers.

“Don’t do corruption and you will not have to face any investigation. Investigation is only against those who indulged in corruption,” Kohli told reporters here on Saturday, while commenting on the chief minister and the minister who have questioned the timing of action taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI has registered a case against Meghalaya’s labour minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and others, including unknown persons, in connection with their alleged interference in appointments of school teachers.

Along with Ampareen, a case was also registered against Meghalaya’s additional chief secretary P.S. Thangkhiew, who was the principal secretary (education), besides directorate of elementary and mass education, and unknown persons.

“If the CBI do it after the BJP government comes, they will still say that the timing is bad. The Court is not run by the BJP. What the Congress government of Dr Mukul Sangma and Ampareen Lyngdoh did was corrupt practices. The BJP did not go and file the case. So how are we to be blamed?” Kohli asked.

Accusing the chief minister of shielding his tainted minister, he said, “Through out the period he (Mukul) has been saying that he has great confidence in (the minister). So they have common intend (in the scam).”

On an FIR filed against former MLA Sanbor Shullai who has joined the BJP, for allegedly practicing nepotism, Kohli said, “Everybody will face the law. If an FIR is filed, he (Shullai) is going to fight as he has legal rights. He has not been held guilty, but in Ampareen’s case, she has been held guilty by a court which has a huge difference.”

Kohli also justified that “recommendation by public representatives for candidates to be appointed as teachers was not illegal”.

“Making recommendation is not illegal. Political people make recommendation for people in their (respective) constituencies. No persons have told her (Ampareen) to follow corrupt practices and appoint their people,” Kohli stated.

However the Meghalaya High Court in its judgment passed on November 2, last year has slammed public representatives for interfering into the teachers’ recruitment.

The court in its judgment said, “On the facts that have surfaced, it is but evident that several of the public representatives, who are otherwise entrusted by the society to maintain the rule of law and to uphold the basic constitutional principles of fair play, indulged in such open defiance of law that the selection process was reduced to a mockery.”

The CBI report had named Ampareen and other public representatives who also recommended their own candidates to be appointed as teachers.

These include deputy chief minister R.C. Laloo (37 candidates), former Mawkynrew MLA Remington Pyngrope (47), former minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar (37), Raksamkre MLA Limison D. Sangma (34), former minister Prestone Tynsong (20), urban affairs minister, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh (15), former minister, A.L. Hek (7), former South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai (3), former MLA R.L. Tariang (29), former MLA J.A. Lyngdoh (6), former Speaker Charles Pyngrope (3), former MLA Donkupar Massar (2), member of district council M. Pariat (11), former MLA L. Malngiang (4) and then adviser to former chief minister D.D Lapang, F. War (3).