Dimapur, Feb. 14 (EMN): The Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Nagaland, Tokheho Yepthomi on Thursday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the house in 2016 but referred to the select committee, where all members of Parliament, across party lines, are members.
“The Bill came to parliament after select committee gave clearance to be tabled in the Parliament. CAB was introduced in the Lower House only on the 7th of January 2019 and passed by voice vote. As per the records available, there was no division of vote, for and against the Bill. As there was no important business listed, and especially nothing pertaining to Nagaland hence I scheduled engagements in Zunheboto and Aghunato from the 4th to 8th January 2019,” read a statement from the MP.
Reacting to certain statements made by the spokesperson of NPF, he said: “I have no comment about the NPF spokesperson who has not even won a civic election and that maybe the reason as to why he thinks that losing an election needs to be compensated for. As far as me 'loitering' in the state goes, I would ask the NPF party to check the attendance records of all MPs and see for themselves as to who is `loitering'.”
According to him, it is a well-known fact that NPF party tried alliance with BJP before the last general elections. “It is for the Naga people to decide about the ideology of the party that takes pride in being the oldest regional party that was in alliance with BJP for decades and suddenly had an epiphany about protecting Christianity after the latter refused their support.
“The NPF is trying to confuse people because as to this day four NPF MLAs are still a part of the BJP led government in Manipur. Their leaders might still be trying to take the support of the BJP to take over the government, but BJP national leaders are very firm with the PDA coalition government,” he said.
Look into the mirror, NDPP tells rival NPF
Turning the table on a very vocal NPF—over the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill—the ruling NDPP on Thursday asked the opposition party “why the NPF and TR Zeliang are so conveniently trying to pass on the buck to the government of the day when they know very well that they had failed to deliver to the people?”
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NDPP stated that the NPF needs to first question its leader Zeliang as to why he decided to ignore the pleas of various student organisations and civil organisations to implement the ILP and the BERFA to the entire of the state when he was the chief minister of Nagaland.
“The PDA government has already instituted a high-power committee to look into the matter and will very soon come out with a policy to address the issue,” it stated.
On the allegation that the chief minister, while being the Lok Sabha MP, had failed to poose the Bill, it stated that “ the NPF seems to have forgotten that an MP is also bound by the dictates of the party he belongs to and therefore, even in the case of Neiphiu Rio, he was directed by the party to adhere to the decisions of the party and not otherwise.”
Therefore, when the NPF led DAN government decided to remain silent on the matter, how could the MP have reacted otherwise, it asked. “After all, it is an open secret as to how the NPF ‘high command’ deals with disobedient members!”
According to the party, the state government led by the chief minister has in every meeting with the Union home minister and other functionaries, reiterated the stand that the Bill will not be applicable to Nagaland. “Were the leaders of the NPF present in these meetings that they now feel they have the authority to decide what the CM said and did not said? (sic) If the NPF were really serious about the issues pertaining to the CAB, then why did they decide to shy away from the consultative meet at Chumukedima.”
It also dismissed the NPF’s reaction to the clarification from Tokheho Yepthomi as another instance of foot-in-the- mouth syndrome. If the NPF were serious about accusing the MP (LS) and the NDPP-PDA government to have voted for the CAB, perhaps they should have first obtained the list of business to be taken up during the winter session of Parliament where important issues like the CAB and matters relating to Nagaland were not listed initially.
“Therefore, since there were no important issues pertaining to Nagaland listed to be taken up, the MP (LS) returned to Nagaland and was in Zunheboto from the 4th-8th of January, attending to other matters, which for the information of the opposition party, is not a new thing since they also have former members of parliament in their folds who know the functioning’s of the parliament very well but are feigning ignorance.
“The CAB was included in the order of business of the Lok Sabha only on the evening of the 7th of January to be taken up on the 8th by which time it was not possible for the MP (LS) to return to Delhi to participate in the voting. The NPF have very publicly stated that they have ‘evidence’ to prove that the MP (LS) voted for the CAB and that the NDPP should be ready with our proof. The proof has been laid down in public by the MP and now the opposition party wants to attack his statement without proper verification just so as to save their embarrassment which is another example of the foot in mouth syndrome,” the statement read.
It also expressed surprise that the NPF, being the oldest regional party in the region, seem to be the ones trying to dilute the provisions and protection of Article 371A. “The NDPP and the PDA are of the belief that since the CAB has lapsed due to it not being tabled in the upper House of Parliament, it is time for every right thinking Naga citizen to work towards strengthening the provisions of Article 371A and protect our future rather than try to dilute these provisions for the mere sake of gaining political mileage as in the case of the NPF.”
