Mahanta defends decision to retain Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, APRIL 16. The Assam Chief Minister, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today defended his decision to retain Mr. Rajendra Musahari, a Minister of State, who is an accused in a rape case involving a minor girl.

Asked about the recent criticism of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Mahanta said, ``The NHRC has no jurisdiction to decide who should or should not be in my Cabinet. It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. The NHRC has overstepped its limits.'' He said the case was sub-judice and the Minister had not yet been found guilty.

The NHRC earlier said, ``In the face of the material already available, including the report of the police wherein the Minister had been clearly named as an accused who had obtained interim bail from the Gauhati High Court, the propriety of the accused continuing as a member of the Cabinet did assume considerable significance.''

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Section  : Other States
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