Mizoram's lone BJP MLA sentenced to 1 year in jail in corruption case
Aizawl, Jul 25: Mizoram's lone BJP MLA Buddha Dhan Chakma along with 12 other leaders was sentenced to one year in prison in a corruption case by a special court on Monday.
Special judge Vanlalenmawia sentenced 13 people, including the Tuichawng legislator, to imprisonment for one year for embezzling Rs 1.37 crore of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) between 2013 and 2018.
The court convicted them on July 22 under section 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for abusing their official powers and withdrawing the money from the special assistance fund meant for development works.
The other convicts are incumbent Chief Executive Member (CEM) of CADC Buddha Lila Chakma, two executive members, two sitting members (MDC) and three former CEMs. The other four are former executive members of the CADC, which governs parts of Lawngtlai district in southern Mizoram.
All of them were members of the CADC when the corruption happened.
A fine of Rs 10,000 each was also imposed on them by the court, which said they would undergo simple imprisonment for another 30 days if they fail to pay.
Soon after the hearing, the court released the convicts on bail following a plea by their counsel that they would challenge the verdict at a higher court.
In 2017, state BJP president Vanlalhmuaka urged the governor to dissolve the Chakma council, alleging irregularities.
Following this, the governor asked the then deputy commissioner (DC) of Lawngtlai A Muthamma to probe the matter. After the DC submitted his report to the governor, an FIR was filed with the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2018.
Congress was in power in CADC in 2013, and Budhha Dhan Chakma headed it as the CEM.
Chakma was later elected an MLA on a Congress ticket, and became a minister in the state's then Lal Thanhawla government. He resigned in 2017 in protest against the denial of medical seats to four Chakma students by the state government.
Soon after his resignation, he joined the BJP and was elected as an MLA in the 2018 assembly elections. He is the first BJP MLA of the state.
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BJP has history of ‘contradictory alliances’, says BK Hariprasad
Bengaluru: Congress MLC B. K. Hariprasad has launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the party of hypocrisy over its criticism of alliance politics in Tamil Nadu.
In a post on X on Friday, Hariprasad said BJP leader B. L. Santhosh criticising the Congress party’s alliance politics in Tamil Nadu was “not just laughable, but the height of political contradiction.”
He said the Congress has always joined hands with like-minded parties to protect secular and democratic values in the country.
Hariprasad questioned the BJP over several of its past and present alliances across the country. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar and Maharashtra, he accused the BJP of sharing power with parties it had earlier criticised.
He alleged that the BJP had aligned with separatist and corruption-linked political forces in different states for political gains.
“The BJP, which speaks against alliances today, should first look at its own political history,” he said, adding that the party’s record was full of “contradictions and changing stands.”
Hariprasad also accused the BJP of using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI as political tools to target opposition leaders, topple governments and influence electoral mandates.
He further claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had strongly rejected the BJP and its ideology in the recent election.
“Congress forms alliances to protect the Constitution, secularism and national unity, while the BJP enters into alliances only for power,” he said.
