Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 24 (EMN): The youth wing of Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu led Naga People’s Front (NPF), evidently dissatisfied with the speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Dr. Imtiwapang Aier’s clarification on the issues raised by it which appeared in the local dailies today, continued their ‘peaceful dharna (sit-in protest)’ outside the Civil Secretariat, Kohima.
The protesting youth are of the view that the speaker only tried to justify his inaction to the pending cases regarding disqualification petitions filed against 36 NPF legislators who defied the whip issued by the NPF Chief Whip Kiyanilie Peseyie on July 21 last; recognition of Kuzholuzo Nienu as the leader of the NPF Legislature Party in the Assembly; and recognition of Yitachu as the new Chief Whip of the NPF party, which was necessitated after the demise of Peseyie on Sep. 27 last.
“We are not asking any justification from him. We are only asking him that he should pass necessary orders. It may be in favour of us or others, we don’t care, we only want that he should pass the orders as per the Constitution of India and as per the laid down laws in the state assembly,” stated MLA Yitachu while addressing the gathering at the protest site on Tuesday afternoon. The legislator alleged that speaker Aier’s justification was only to confuse the people further.
On Oct. 23, the speaker had cited that one of the reasons for the pendency of the disqualification petition was the unfortunate demise of the petitioner himself (Kiyanilie Peseyie), which, he stated, has literally rendered the proceedings infructuous in the legal parlance. Yitachu stated that if this was the speaker’s opinion, then the speaker should pass an order stating so, and not try to justify before the public and ‘try to prolong things’. The MLA scathingly remarked his doubt whether the speaker meant that a thief is to be let off just because the owner of the house where he stole from is dead. He asserted that it was shameful to hear such an explanation from one of the highest offices of the state.
On the speaker’s clarification that the matter regarding recognition of Kuzholuzo Neinu as leader of the NPF legislature party is under reference for legal opinion, Yitachu opined that the speaker should list out whom he was seeking legal opinion from and what were the queries he had put forth to the legal expert. The MLA said the speaker’s office being one of the highest in the state, Aier could have made a time-bound request from whomever he sought the legal opinion.
With regard to the whip issue, the NLA speaker had clarified that the letter issued by NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu appointing Yitachu as the new chief whip of NPF was under examination keeping in view the developments in the Election Commission’s dealing with the party issue and the court case filed by the petitioners themselves. To this, Yitachu was of the view that the speaker could issue an order stating that he could consider the matter only after the outcome of the court. He asserted that the party youth would not be protesting today, had the speaker issued the necessary orders mentioned above.
On the allegations hurled at the Liezietsu-led NPF by the rival group led by Neiphiu Rio that the legislators belonging to the former had threatened the speaker in his office, Yitachu said they had only asked the speaker that it would be best if he addressed the issues at the earliest and delivered timely justice. “Asking him (the speaker) why he was delaying his decision is not a threat,” he added.
He also clarified that there was no ‘doublespeak on ties with BJP’ as the party had decided to severe all ties with BJP in the state but decided to be with the NDA at the national level for national interest. As for the rival group claiming that the Oct. 17 ECI order was not a judgment, Yitachu wondered if it was so then why they were not doing anything with regard to the order. “Their lies will get over on November 22 (general convention),” he stated confidently.
MLA and former speaker Chotisuh Sazo also spoke to the rallyists and he maintained that the position of the speaker of a legislative assembly to be that of a neutral office and a post of dignity. He however said that the incumbent speaker and the governor have ‘molested the Constitution of India’ by recognizing ‘unconstitutionally appointed’ government and other appointments that followed in the assembly. He alleged speaker Aier of knowing the rules but flaunting them to save his ‘brother-in-law TR Zeliang’.
Sazo also pointed out that as per Article 178 of the Constitution of India, every legislative assembly of a state is required to appoint a speaker and a deputy speaker, but the NLA is yet to appoint a deputy speaker. This, he retorted, could be from fear that they (the rival group) may not be able to manipulate the deputy speaker to follow their whims.
On the disqualification petitions filed by both sides, Sazo said the speaker had two options: either to accept the law as per the Constitution or to accept his brother-in-law’s law. He also asserted that the speaker claimed that the whip issue was infructuous as the petitioner had passed away, however, he wondered why the speaker was yet to notify the same in an order.
On Aier’s justification on appointment of Nienu as NPF legislature party leader, Sazo sarcastically wondered aloud if the speaker was truly waiting for legal opinion or ‘his brother-in-law’s opinion’.
MLA CL John in his brief address, maintained that the rival NPF group may have majority of legislators but having majority alone does not make right something which is illegal as the truth is what matters in the eyes of law. Therefore, he stated that NLA Speaker should follow the rule of law as is required by his office and not lean towards a group merely because it has the numbers but lacks in legal procedures.
