GUWAHATI: The BJP in Nagaland has defended Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton who is facing criticism for his alleged statement that he can manipulate the interviews of Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
The BJP asserted that Patton, who is also the state’s Home Minister, has always stood for fairness and meritocracy in the NPSC exams. The party said it was he who was instrumental in curtailing the marks of NPSC interviews from 75 to 55.
The BJP said Patton had also raised his voice against the appointment of people without civil services background as members of the NPSC. In doing so, the party said, he had gone against the CM and his Cabinet for “justice, fairness and equality”.
The BJP, which is a key constituent of the state’s ruling coalition, described the controversy, arising out of Patton’s alleged statement, as a political conspiracy.
The alleged statement had ruffled many a feather. Last week, Vicca S Aye, who is a former president of Sumi (tribe) Students’ Union, had petitioned Governor RN Ravi “on behalf of civil services aspirants”, urging him to take action against Patton.
“On January 28 at the conference of Lotha Students’ Union, we heard the Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland Y Patton through audio recording of his speech wherein he asked all civil services aspirants to approach him after getting through the written examination of the NPSC. He said that he will be able to manage the interview and help the aspirants get through as he has always been practicing the give and take policy of exchanging jobs between various authorities,” Aye wrote in a letter to the governor.
Patton has already denied having made the statement. He said his speech, made in his Lotha (tribe) dialect, was “twisted” and “misrepresented” by his political adversaries to gain political mileage. He said he had stated “the NPSC cannot be manipulated” in a different context but his intention was being “manipulated”.