A day after Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker, Dr. Imtiwapang Aier, asked the nine NPF MLAs to appear before him for hearing on the petition for disqualification in his office chamber on October 31, the NPF legislature party spokesperson, Yitachu, MLA, Friday described speaker’s summon as an attempt to delay the court hearing on the whip issue, which would come up for hearing on October 30.
Speaking at fifth day sit-in dharna outside Civil Secretariat here, Yitachu said that the truth would prevail no matter how best they try.
He contended that disqualification could be attracted only if the members voluntarily gave up membership of a political party, office of profits, voting or abstention against the party whip, convicted on corrupt charges, criminal charges, resignation, misinterpretation in the nomination age, qualification etc.
NPF legislature party spokesperson assured that nothing would happen to the nine MLAs, saying they cannot be disqualified and would take the party forward with truth.
Further, Yitachu said that the disqualification petition against whip did not need hearing, adding that neither did it need witness nor evidence as the only thing was to check the office record whether the members had defied the whip.
Yitachu said that since TR Zeliang cannot fool the court he declared in the affidavit that “whip was appointed by party”. However, Yitachu said that outside the court the rival camp members were continuously fooling the people, saying their time was getting over.
The spokesperson also affirmed that the protest would continue so that all the pending issues would be taken to conclusion.
Also, speaking at the protest site, the NPF central spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon, said the senior lawyer whom the dissidents had sought queries on whip had already rendered his reply that the questions sought were irrelevant.
Kikon claimed that since rival faction missed to ask the core question on the origin of whip, the queries became irrelevant.
The spokesperson also denounced “inaction” of NLA speaker by not acting as per the NLA rules and the constitution of India, which the speaker ought to follow.
He said NLA speaker woke up from his deep slumber lately and only after the party agitated he started to summon the MLAs. He also assured that nothing would happen to the MLAs.
On the rival faction’s resolution passed on October 24 to file petition to ECI for review of the October 17 order, Kikon said it was not possible as the order cannot be challenged.
Asserting that NPF filed civil suit against the dissidents for impersonating its president, he said the court passed an order stating that it was not maintainable because the matter was in ECI’s court.
Subsequently, Kikon said ECI passed the order, which he maintained was in accordance and a confirmation judgment.
Kikon said the dissidents’ challenge on the existence of the NPF party was to escape from disqualification.
Stating that the delay of hearing was pricking the conscious of the Nagas, the NPF spokesperson, however, assured that everything would be settled in time.
Meanwhile, the dharna organizers have informed that the protest would resume on Monday.