Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) has termed as “illegal” the service extension of TJ Longkumer as Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland.
ACAUT co-chairman Simon Kelio and secretary Hetoi Chishi said that the “brazen flouting” of UPSC guidelines for filling the post of DGP Nagaland was “nothing short of sinister mischief.”
ACAUT questioned as to why the state government would go to such an extent “to commit this daring illegal act by extending the tenure of Chhattisgarh cadre DGP TJ Longkumer.”
According to ACAUT, the UPSC’s letter dated April 1, 2022 to the Government of Nagaland clearly states that “only officers of Nagaland Cadre are required to be included in the eligibility list, and Shri. TJ Longkumer belongs to Chhattisgarh Cadre.”
ACAUT said it was unclear whether the state government responded to the UPSC letter as yet. However, ACAUT said it appeared state government has not responded yet. ACAUT claimed that the state government “apparently” wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking extension of TJ Longkumer’s tenure for another six months. It said that MHA in its response letter to government of Nagaland dated August 31, 2022 conveyed the approval of appointments committee of the cabinet extension of service as well as extension of inter-cadre deputation tenure of TJ Longkumer for a period of six months.
However, ACAUT said that MHA only mentioned inter-cadre deputation and not in the capacity as DGP cum head of police force (HoPF) as it would be in contravention to the UPSC service rules guidelines.
“Therefore, this it is amply clearly that the extension of TJ Longkumer as DGP (HoPF) is illegal, which will bear many legal backlashes,” ACAUT said.
Further, ACAUT said that the state chief minister in his letter to home minister Amit Shah dated August 25, 2022 sought the extension tenure of TJ Longkumer for six months till election time.
ACAUT also described as “such blatant lie” the chief minister’s recent statement, wherein he said that those opposing the extension of the tenure of TJ Longkumer should take up the matter with MHA since it has nothing to do with the state government.
ACAUT said this “only confirms the speculation and fear that this is a deliberate and a sinister ploy” on the part of state government to weaponize the police forces for the upcoming general elections.
Asserting it totally condemned such illegal and sinister ploy on the part of state government, ACAUT has affirmed to fight tooth and nail against such devious activities.
Meanwhile, ACAUT Nagaland has urged TJ Longkumer “not to tarnish his illustrious career at the twilight of his career” but retire gracefully and uphold the dignity of the respectable police forces “by not succumbing, and become an instrument of the politicians.”
ACAUT said that “this rotten entanglement of Police forces” in politics would demoralise the whole police forces.
