NPF and NDPP ‘demeaned’ Naga rights — Kohima Congress

Dimapur, Feb. 2 (EMN): Even as the public spat between the NDPP and NPF over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continues, the Kohima District Congress Committee (KDCC) on Saturday suggested that both the parties have “demeaned the provisions of the Constitutional rights of the Naga people” during their respective tenure. In a statement, the KDCC reminded the NPF of its three terms at the helm during which it had “quietly accepted” the GST “without even considering that the Nagas though earlier were exempted from paying tax are now imposed with all forms of tax.” Again, it stated, it was wrong of the then NPF government to hold ULB elections resulting in the loss of precious lives and properties worth crores in 2017. On the other hand, the NDPP has “created confusion among the people” with its rejection of the Citizenship Bill while its Lok Sabha MP remained silent during the passage of the bill on Jan. 8, 2019, it stated. “Interestingly, it was the current Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who was then in NPF, during whose tenure as MP the draft bill was taken up in the Parliament, but he too had then failed to raise any voice to protect the Nagas from the contentious bill,” the statement read. It was also of the view that Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India guarantees that no law of the Parliament can apply to the state of Nagaland, unless so decided by the state assembly. However, the irresponsible behaviours of the regional parties in accepting the Acts of the Parliament and trying to impose upon the Nagas without considering our welfare has become a grave threat for the Naga people, it stated.