The Hindu : Cong. keeps up efforts to save Mithi Ministry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2003

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National

Cong. keeps up efforts to save Mithi Ministry

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 29. Maintaining its offensive against the move to topple the Mukut Mithi Government in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress today released its correspondence with the Centre warning about the activities of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah) in the region.

Releasing copies of the letters, the party chief spokesperson, S. Jaipal Reddy, said the correspondence showed the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's concern over the "destabilising effect" of the peace process the Centre was engaged in with the Naga group. The State Government had also forwarded a copy of the Assembly resolution which reflected its concerns in this regard.

The party, Mr. Reddy said, had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, for the day but it had not materialised.

Ms. Gandhi's letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, on April 23, 2003 referred to his assurance with regard to the activities of the NSCN (I-M) and that the territorial integrity of the existing States would not be disturbed as part of any peace process.

She suggested that steps be taken to address the concern of States in the northeast. They included a more rigorous implementation of the ground rules for the ceasefire with the NSCN (I-M), especially in Nagaland, deployment of a dedicated force for the Assam-Bhutan border and sanctioning additional forces for specially protecting the national highways, particularly in Manipur.

In a letter to the Prime Minister on July 14, the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mukut Mithi, drew Mr. Vajpayee's attention to the purported statement of the Minister of State for Home, Swami Chinmayananda, suggesting that there was no need for the State Government to carry anti-insurgency operations.

"The State Government is carrying out anti-insurgency operations under the specific written orders and advice of the Home Ministry. All operational decisions are taken in a coordinating group constituted by the Home Ministry and comprising all relevant Central agencies. No Central agency nor the Home Ministry has ever objected to any operational decision," he said, adding that if the Minister's statement was correct, why was he undermining his own Ministry. He also sought to know whether the recent denial of forces for operational purposes was for this reason.

Meanwhile, the party objected to Mr. Vajpayee's remarks at the conference of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. It said his suggestion to alter the existing auditing methods was "highly improper''.

No Prime Minister in the last five decades had "tendered such advice" to a constitutional body such as the CAG, Mr. Reddy said.

While the framers of the Constitution had put an embargo that no one occupying the post be considered for any appointment, the BJP-led NDA Government had "subverted" the institution by appointing the former CAG chief, T.N. Chaturvedi, as Governor.

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