SHOCKING: MLA threatened to withdraw starred questions at NLA

MLA Mmhuonlumo has alleged of receiving threat to withdraw his queries on the number of appointments made from the year 2013 to 2017 at the Home Department  

Morung Express News
 Dimapur | March 18  

In what can clearly be termed as politics of brute force or that of desperation, a legislator of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) has alleged that he was threatened to withdraw his starred and unstarred questions, which was submitted to the Commissioner and Secretary, NLA seeking answers during the 15th session of the 12th NLA scheduled from March 21, 2017 onwards.  

The legislator under threat, Mmhonlumo Kikon, who represents 40 A/C Bhandari, Wokha district had alleged on March 17 in a post on social media platform -facebook that he had received veiled and open threats to withdraw his starred and unstarred queries which he forwarded to be taken up in the forthcoming budget session.  

“It is the legitimate right of any legislator to pose questions in the legislative assembly concerning the welfare of the people and especially about good governance in the state as it is of utmost importance. Whereas the winter session in 2016 saw a glimpse of debate on issues pertinent to the accountability of the government, I have ventured answers to the manner on which Nagaland Government appoint its employees. A normal democratic constitutional exercise for any other state I did not expect the hullabaloo it generated…” the post by MLA Mmhonlumo on his Facebook page read.  

The legislator also alleged of how there has been open and veiled threats to withdraw his queries and the visits to houses of his family members threatening consequences beyond the political. The post does not mention the source from where the threats surfaced.  

When The Morung Express contacted MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon to seek more details, the legislator revealed that the threats and pressure to withdraw his starred questions has been coming from the Home Department.  

The legislator, who is currently in Delhi, said he has been receiving pressure from “intermediaries” asking to withdraw the queries pertaining to the Home Department. He also received text messages containing veiled threats on his future and his career in politics. Even his family members were not spared- with the so-called “intermediaries” reportedly having visited an uncle of the legislator on the issue.  

In the starred questions, which have apparently caused such a scare to the Home Department to go to extent of threatening a representative of the people, the legislator has asked the Home Minister Y Patton to furnish the number of appointments made from the year 2013 to 2017 in the Home Department.  

It also sought answer on the appointment process, and the procedure followed for constables, havildars, ASI, ABSI/UBSI, NPTO, SI and MTSI and the third grade clerical posts for the year 2014-2017. It also asked the Home Minister to furnish the newspaper advertisement for the same posts before the interviews were called and conducted, if there is any.

“This is not a family, clan or tribe issue. This is a question of accountability. I have my constitutional rights to pose questions and seek answers to these questions as representative of the people,” Mmhonlumo said.  

The legislator also said there is no question of withdrawing these questions. “Obviously for me, there is no question of withdrawing. If I wanted to withdraw why should I raise these queries in the first place,” Mmhonlumo pointed out.  On threats allegedly received over the starred and unstarred questions, the legislator said he would address the issue at an appropriate time.  

However, the Home Department isn’t the only department which the legislator has sought answers from—in a number of starred and unstarred questions, he has sought answers from the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Minister for Food and Civil Supply, Minister for School Education and Minister for Roads and Bridges on a number of issues.  

Clarification

Apropos to the news item which appeared on March 19, 2017 issue of The Morung Express under the headline—‘Shocking: MLA threatened to withdraw questions at NLA’—it is hereby clarified that MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon did not receive any threat from the Home Department as implied, but threats allegedly came from ‘intermediaries’.