GUWAHATI: The Neiphiu Rio government in Nagaland has deferred the training of 1,200 fresh police recruits which was to have begun on Friday amid a row over alleged backdoor appointments.

Alleging discrepancies in the selection process, a tribal organisation had earlier threatened to prevent the candidates from taking part in the training at Chumukedima in Dimapur district.

The government, however, did not mention the controversy in a wireless text message to all district police chiefs and battalion commandants. The Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters) of the Nagaland Police wrote, “Due to incomplete arrangement of barracks and other training infrastructure, all units are directed not to send their RCs on 14/02/2020 for the basic training at NAPTC and PTS till further orders. However, the RCs should be kept in readiness for reporting to the training centre at short notice”.

Earlier, a tribal body “Naga Tribal Union Chumukedima Town” had threatened that it would allow only the 206 candidates to take part in the training and prevent the remaining others. What ruffled its feathers was the selection of 1,200 candidates against 206 posts advertised.

It demanded a clarification “with facts and figures, including official references of posts advertised for public consumption” from the authorities concerned and criticised the CM for his silence on the issue. It urged the government to keep in abeyance the proposed training until the confusion was cleared “in order to avoid any ugly consequences”.

Similarly, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) had questioned the authorities as to how the excess 996 candidates were selected. The students’ body threatened to go to any extent for justice.

The Naga Students’ Federation, which is the state’s apex students’ body, has convened a meeting with all its units on February 22 to discuss the issue of backdoor appointment and future course of action.