Aizawl, May 25: The Congress in Mizoram is facing a major embarrassment with former party general secretary M.C. Lalrinthanga coming out with an insiders? account of the state unit in a book scheduled to hit the stands soon.
Lalrinthanga, a former Congress leader who was expelled some years ago for his opposition to Mizo strongman Lalthanhawla, said he is ready to release his book ? Mizoram eiruk thubuai lian ber (Mizoram?s Biggest Corruption Case) involving the PCC president and former chief minister.
The book?s release, Congress sources said, may come in handy for the Opposition to put the party on the mat just before the Assembly elections in October.
The Mizoram Congress is currently the frontrunner in a one-to-one battle with chief minister Zoramthanga?s Mizo National Front.
While a senior Congress leader dismissed the book, asserting that it will in no way threaten Lalthanhawla?s standing as there is nothing new in it, another said that the book was nothing but a publicity stunt.
Congress-watchers, however, said the book, which has exposed the intense rift within the party, traces the history of how Lalthanhawla was chargesheeted.
It starts from the time a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Zairema, a retired Mizoram Presbyterian Church pastor and Bualhranga, a former MLA of the Mizoram People?s Conference Party, on August 17, 1996. This followed raids by the Income Tax department (investigation wing) on the office of one Jodhraj Baid, also called Jain, in Guwahati, Silchar and Aizawl in 1995.
Lalthanhawla was chief minister from 1989 to 1998. The chargesheet, submitted to Mizoram police on April 25, 2003, and reproduced verbatim in the book, stated that a nexus was formed by Lalthanhawla and Jodhraj Baid/Jain where a conspiracy was hatched and criminal misconduct committed. Lalthanhawla has been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Lalthanhawla?s chargesheet is now in the hands of P. Singthanga, special judge, prevention of corruption court, Mizoram but the accused are yet to appear before him.