DIMAPUR, MARCH 31 (MExN): The political battle on the office of profit issue continues. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today said it is ‘most surprised and amused’ to see the disqualification petition submitted by 9 MLAs of the DAN against the Leader of Opposition I Imkong, alleging that the Leader of Opposition is an “Office of Profit” attracting disqualification under Article 191 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India.
“The NPCC is further amused to see the Press Statement of R Paphino, Press Secretary, NPF on the position of ‘Office of Profit’ in Nagaland which clearly shows their confused mind and lack of clarity with regard to the position the ‘Office of Profit’.”
A release issued by Vice President of the NPCC Nuzota Swüro said the issue of the Office of Profit is a national phenomenon at the moment and “NPCC as a responsible national party is duty bound to perform its constitutional duties.”
It was cited that the Nagaland State Legislative Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1964 at Rule No. 2 stipulates that “A person shall not be and shall be deemed never to have disqualified for being chosen as or being a Member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly by reason of the fact that he holds any of the office specified in the schedule appended hereto.”
The Schedule Paragraph 4 states that, “The Office of the Chairman, Vice Chairman or Member of any regional, tribal, area, range or village council constituted in Nagaland under any existing Regulation or Law.” The Nagaland Congress made it a point to state that “it purely deals with our traditional institutions.”
The Schedule Paragraph 8 states as follows: “The Office of Chairman, Vice Chairman or Members of any committee, board or authority appointed by the Government of India or the Government of any State specified in the First Schedule of the Constitution of India”.
The NPCC thus said mere perusal of the above mentioned provisions clearly shows that the office of profit presently occupied by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Council of Ministers and MLAs of the DAN does not come within the exemption as contended by the NPF Party and its DAN allies under the Nagaland State Legislative Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1964.
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