Asks Gov to nullify appointment of Advisors and Pro-tem Speaker
DIMAPUR, MARCH 10 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today said that it is “dumbfounded at the ignorance of the newly formed NDPP-BJP government.”
“While the people gave mandate to 37 of the NDPP-BJP aspirants in the recently concluded state general elections, it is astonishing to note that the pre-poll partners were in a rush to appoint Advisors for different government departments,” a press release from the NPCC Working President, Khriedi Theunuo stated.
It noted that as per norms, the 37 of them are only MLAs Elect and without taking the oath of office or affirmation as an MLA inside the Assembly and in front of the Speaker or Pro-tem Speaker, they are not full-fledged MLAs of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
“Nonetheless, the NDPP-BJP government in clear violation of the constitutional principles of the separation of powers between the legislature, judiciary and executive which is the basic structure of the Constitution of India, has given the executive powers as Advisors to the 24 of them,” the NPCC stated.
It further expressed surprise to note that the NDPP-BJP government has appointed Mhathung Yanthan as the Pro-tem Speaker to administer oath of office and affirmation to the newly elected members of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
“This is also in contravention to the laid down norms as Mhathung Yanthan has already been given the executive powers as an Advisor along with 23 other members of NDPP-BJP government on 9th of March, 2023 while he took oath as the Pro-tem Speaker only on 10th of March, 2023,” the NPCC observed.
Further, the Congress said that the clause quoted by the NDPP-BJP government for appointment of the pro-tem speaker under “Clause 9(1) of Article 180 of the Constitution of India” does not exist.
Such oversight of law by NDPP-BJP is very disgraceful and unacceptable, it stated.
The NPCC sought the immediate intervention of the Governor of Nagaland in setting the record straight by nullifying the appointment of Advisors and Pro-tem Speaker thereby upholding the rule of law.
