GUWAHATI, Feb 19 � The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which investigated the NC Hills case of embezzlement of the funds meant for developmental activities in the hills district, never sought permission to probe the allegations of involvement of the State�s ministers in the Rs 1,000 crore scam. This was the statement made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at a press conference here today.
He also claimed that even the Union Home Ministry had not made any communication for conducting any inquiry into the allegation. �I will extend full cooperation to the NIA in case it seeks any help from me in the matter. In fact, I was in favour of creation of the NIA, unlike many others when the proposal to constitute it was mooted,� he said.
�But in this case,� he said, �neither we were asked by the NIA nor did we prevent it from conducting any investigation.�
Gogoi also rejected the suggestion for engaging the CBI to enquire into the allegation of the ministers� involvement in the NC Hills scam.
He also informed the media persons that he would write to the editor of The Week, which carried the story of the NIA indicating involvement of some ministers and one MP of the State in the NC Hills scam that led to the present tumult in the political circles. In case the weekly does not carry the contradiction, Gogoi said, �We will go for a defamation suit.�
Dismissing the Opposition charges that he has been shielding the corrupt ministers of his Cabinet as �malicious propaganda to malign the State Government,� Gogoi said that the Government was not shielding any corrupt person.
The Opposition is going by newspaper reports to level such charges against the Government. It is not playing any positive role to unearth such corruptions in the administration. �If there is so much corruption, how are developmental activities taking place in the State?� he hit back.
While replying to a question, he said that he was not happy with the pace of developmental activities in the NC Hills. But he was not in a position to publish a white paper on the development taking place in the hills district since it is placed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, he said.
China takes offence at Obama, Dalai meeting
Beijing, Feb 19 � Miffed over President Barack Obama�s maiden meeting with the Dalai Lama, China today accused the US of double-speak on Tibet and �seriously undermining� bilateral ties by �conniving� with anti-Beijing separatist forces, reports PTI.
�The action of the US side has seriously interfered in China�s internal affairs, seriously hurt the national feelings of the Chinese people and seriously undermined China-US relations,� Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a terse statement here.
The sharp reaction came a day after Obama held talks with the 74-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader at the White House, the first meeting between the two Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Washington had ignored Beijing�s warning that such a meeting would harm Sino-US ties.
Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned US Ambassador Jon Huntsman to lodge�Beijing�s protest over the Obama-Dalai meeting, the statement said.
