BJP accuses Rymbui of shielding coal racketeers

SHILLONG: Keeping up with its new found zest for fighting corruption in high places, the State BJP on Thursday urged Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to arrest those who are involved in coal racketeering instead of shielding them.
In a statement party spokesman Bernard N Marak, who is also the vice president, said that Rymbui should order immediate arrest of the people involved in the illegal coal racket after recent crackdown by the Assam Police.
Virtually accusing Home Minister of protecting the perpetrators of the coal scam, the statement trained its gun against the Power Minister alleging his personal involvement in the racket.
The BJP spokesman also noted that Rymbui had opposed CBI inquiry into the scams of GHADC and as a bigger scam surfaced he was again dragging his feet.
“Is this the reason why the state is strongly opposing CBI probe into the Council scams when everyone knows that Rs 5.82 crore was spent for two episode documentaries which would not even cost one lakh,” Marak asked.
According to Marak, though the minister concerned was stripped of the Home portfolio for his alleged involvement in running syndicated coal racket in defiance of NGT ban, “it looks like he still controls the coal mafia network”.
Using some strong words, the BJP statement said, “The state government should stop functioning like mafia cheating the public and making maximum self profit.”
The only sobering word from the saffron party was that it had “faith” in the coalition led by NPP but the way corruption was taking place in the state, trusting NPP leaders any more would become a thing of the past unless there was a crackdown on the racketeers.