DIMAPUR, JULY 17 (MExN): The group of NPF legislators that support TR Zeliang today termed Minister for School Education, Yitachu’s recent statement on the ongoing political crisis as “irresponsible” and a “publicity gimmick.”
In a statement of their own, issued through the media cell, NPF Legislature Party, the legislators condemned the Minister’s “motive to hoodwink the people of Nagaland for his shameless political gains while exerting all kinds of threats and intimidations…”
“Let the Naga people judge who is representing their voice and mandate of the people,” the legislators said.
The legislators recalled that Yitachu had “extended his support in sound mind and out of his free will reaffirming TR Zeliang as Leader of the NPF Legislature Party and DAN Legislature Party.”
“TR Zeliang was elected as the Leader of the NPF Legislature Party on May 14, 2014 and Chairman, DAN on February 22, 2017 and on both occasions, Yitachu had voted in favor of TR Zeliang … And once signatures of majority of the MLAs in a Legislature Party meet are appended to the resolutions, it becomes the final word of the majority.
Since from such effective date TR Zeliang has been functioning both as Chairman, DAN with Cabinet status and Leader of NPF legislature Party and since no new person has been elected in this regard till date, TR Zeliang has all the legitimacy and mandate of the NPF Legislature and DAN Legislature to lead and execute all delegated authority,” the press note said.
The legislators further asked the School Education Minister to remember that he was inducted under TR Zeliang’s leadership. Claiming that Yitachu had misled the present CM, Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu to file his nomination for the upcoming by-election to Northern Angami-I “exercising his persuasive dirty tricks to table before the Governor for dissolving the Assembly,” the press note questioned that if the Assembly is dissolved then which Assembly Session was the CM going to attend?
Accusing the Minister of misleading the Nagas and his colleagues within his own Camp, the press note said that “acknowledging both Shürhozelie and TR Zeliang as NPF Legislature Party Leaders itself displays how confused Yitachu is as a Politician since in a Democratic Party system there can be only one Legislature Party Leader which in this case is TR Zeliang.”
“Government is never formed by majority of Cabinet Ministers and that too under the leadership of a non-elected Member. Government is always formed by the voice of the majority elected members in the House which is mandated by the people. The Naga people fail to understand what Yitachu meant by the ‘voice of the people’- does he meant to say that paid Youths standing on the streets with nonsense placards are the voice of the people?” it questioned.
The press note also retorted to the Minister’s reasoning that the present crisis was an internal NPF matter by stating that the sacking of NPF as well as Independent MLAs from their offices as Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries under DAN Government “proves that the present crisis involves DAN Government.” “If it was simply an internal party affair, why did Shurhozelie and his 11 Legislators approach the Court of Law instead of resigning from the Chair to settle the differences internally?” it asked.
Pointing out that on July 7, 2017, TR Zeliang was declared as the “undisputed leader by a majority of 34 MLAs which was further supported by 3 more NPF MLAs,” the press note said that “such a sanction does not exist either with Yitachu or the NPF President.” “37 MLAs forms the majority group while 10 MLAs forms the minority group in the NPF Party and it does not need a rocket Scientist to figure out the logic here-10 MLAs cannot seek to control the 37 MLAs while the inference that 37 can control 10 is completely reasonable,” it added.
On the issue regarding disqualification of NPF MLAs who vote against the Party Whip, the press note viewed that “it must not be difficult to figure out who and which group stands at the brink of disqualification.”
The legislators further revealed that on February 16, 2017, legislators were summoned to the NPF President’s residence by MP to the Rajya Sabha, KG Kenye and took the decision to ask TR Zeliang to step down from his Chair immediately “where he succumbed to pressure tactics of Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu and KG Kenye.”
“The Party functionaries in any political party have no authority to summon elected members and take decisions of the Legislature Party where there is incumbent CM and Leader of the Legislature Party,” it added. It alleged that the School Education Minister had earlier told the NPF President that a non-elected member could not be the Leader of the House (NPF Legislature Party) but “today he has changed his color…”
The press note meanwhile said that the present CM and “his 10 MLAs have misused all available government machineries while completely tarnishing the image of NPF Party’s Office as well as the CMO.” It termed the present ministry as “imposters throttling the voice of Nagaland while turning the State into a laughing stock before the outside world.” The legislators asked the CM to display “gratefulness” given that “TR Zeliang had initiated a smooth transition over to him…”
“It is the 43 elected MLAs under the Leadership of TR Zeliang who have the mandate to run the affairs of the State and not the 11 MLAs out of the present effective strength in the 59 member House,” the legislators reiterated and asked the CM to “own moral responsibility on NPF Party crisis since the day MP, N Rio left for Delhi.”
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