Shillong: The BJP has justified that public representatives in Meghalaya recommending their own candidates for teachers' posts was "not illegal", despite the fact that the CBI has booked former education minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and others in this connection.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday evening, BJP national spokesperson and Meghalaya minder Nalin Kohli said, "Making recommendation is not illegal. Political people make recommendation for people in their (respective) constituencies. Nobody told her (Ampareen) to follow corrupt practices and appoint their people."
A number of public representatives from various parties, including the Congress, as well as those who have now joined the BJP, and National People's Party had recommended their own candidates to be appointed as teachers during the recruitment in 2008-2009.
The CBI report had named Ampareen and other public representatives who recommended their own set of 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).
Meghalaya High Court, in its judgment passed on November 2 last year, slammed public representatives for interfering in the teachers' recruitment.
"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 court said.
On January 3, the CBI registered an FIR against Ampareen and others, including unknown persons, for their alleged interference in the appointments of schoolteachers.
A case was also registered against Meghalaya's additional chief secretary Parmarsan S. Thangkhiew, who was the principal secretary (education), besides directorate of elementary and mass education.
Kohli asked chief minister Mukul Sangma and his cabinet colleagues not to indulge further in corrupt practices.
Accusing the chief minister of shielding his tainted minister, he said, "Throughout the period he (Mukul) has been saying that he has great confidence in (the minister). So they have common intent (in the scam)."
On another FIR filed against former MLA Sanbor Shullai who has joined the BJP, for alleged 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 is a huge difference."
