Dimapur: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has accused BJP national vice president and Nagaland State Co-operative Marketing and Consumer Federation Ltd. (NSCM & CF Ltd.) chairman Dr M Chuba Ao of being the “main person” behind alleged smuggling of 23 metric tons of areca nuts from Dimapur to Delhi.
Police caught this consignment of areca nuts of the NSCM & CF Ltd. in the middle of February 2022, NPCC communication department said in a release on Friday.
Quoting news reports, it said a case pertaining to an illegal consignment of areca nuts has been registered with police in Guwahati.
The NPCC alleged that Ao, in his official writing pad as the chairman of NSCM&CF Ltd., issued a strict order prohibiting verification and checking of the consignment along the route to Delhi from Dimapur.
His order further says any violation will be imprisoned for six months or a fine of Rs 10 lakh, it said.
“The Nagaland government remained mute,” it stated. The NPCC questioned with what authority Ao issued such an order.
The release said a copy of the said letter was sent to the railway ministry and Northeast Frontier Railway general manager in Maligaon, Guwahati. It said the GST invoice says the areca nuts are a local product and are being transported to Delhi.
The NPCC said the order issued by Ao in his capacity as the chairman of NSCM&CF Ltd. is abuse of power and misuse of his position in the state government’s NSCM&CF Ltd.
“Evidence of the misuse is in police custody. The government is a people’s government. As a conscious political party, we cannot afford to remain silent on such abuse of power and misuse of authority,” the Pradesh Congress said.
It said if Ao has any “morality”, he should have resigned on his own.
Saying that Nagaland people are not all smugglers, the NPCC demanded Ao be relieved from the chairmanship of the NSCM&CF Ltd. to save the image of the people of the state and enable the police to proceed with the case.