The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Tuesday questioned the silence of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government on the scandal surrounding IAS officer Reny Wilfred who has been accused of sexual harassment.
In a press release, the RPP stated that the silence of the PDA government has now “exposed not just the moral bankruptcy of a bureaucrat but the rotten nexus shielding him”.
“Reny Wilfred, an IAS officer, credibly accused of violating minor girls under POCSO and systematically preying on female subordinates, doesn’t just walk free—he continues to strut through the corridors of power with increasing arrogance. While common citizens face the full wrath of the law for petty crimes, this serial offender still enjoys unprecedented state protection— as Joint Secretary (Finance),” the RPP said.
Alleging that the state government has rewarded the bureaucrat instead of initiating disciplinary proceedings against him by way of suspension, the party called it a criminal collusion at the highest levels.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
“The Metha-Rio-Wilfred nexus remains a festering wound in public discourse. Why is
the initial complainant IDAN Chairman Abu Metha and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio
remaining conspicuously mute? Is Wilfred’s immunity a quid pro quo for buried
secrets? Who is obstructing the wheels of justice, and why? The stench of complicity reaches the Chief Minister’s Office when Wilfred openly boasted about being approached to topple the government, ridiculed the judiciary, and slandered the Nagaland State Women Commission (NSWC),” the RPP further lashed out.
It mentioned that various women’s organizations and student bodies had demanded justice but
their pleas were disregarded. “The government’s shameful silence confirms only one conclusion: Rio’s administration is held hostage by this all-powerful bureaucrat,” RPP maintained.
“Is this the PDA government’s model of “Women Empowerment” and “Good Governance”? The government is warned not to pursue vendetta politics against any of the women complainants in IDAN through termination of jobs and transfer,” the RPP cautioned, adding that it would be observing the issue closely.
“This dirty episode exposes the putrid underbelly of Nagaland’s power structure—and it continues to grow. Sooner or later, this unholy protection and nexus must break,” it further said.
