DIMAPUR, APRIL 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today said their Executive Committee meeting held on April 19 at Congress Bhavan, Kohima expressed concern over the queries on “State’s right on land and its resources” raised by Imkong L. Imchen, Minister for School Education during the two-day orientation programme for legislators of Nagaland held at Kohima on April 18 and 19.
The NPCC Executive Committee has reminded Imchen that “when he has denounced and asked the people to withdraw the 16 Point Agreement at Wokha during the Parliamentary Election Campaign in 2004, he has no moral rights to seek clarification on the issue of “State’s right to land and its resources” under Article 371(A).”
The Nagaland Congress has expressed that Nagaland attained Statehood with the signing of the 16 Point Agreement between the Government of India and the then visionary Naga leaders. Subsequently, with the attainment of Statehood, the 16 Point Agreement was incorporated in the Constitution of India under Article 371(A) giving special status to Nagas, a release reminded.
Therefore, Imchen who has denounced the 16 Point Agreement two years back should refrain himself from seeking any clarification of the provisions under Article 371(A), it stated. The same yardstick should apply to Thenucho, Minister for Home “for supporting Imchen’s denouncement of 16 Point Agreement at Hotel Japfü while addressing a press conference.”
Further, “the NPCC Executive Committee discussed at length on the issue of “Office of Profit” and expresses apprehension on the ignorance of the DAN legislators to petition to Governor that Leader of Opposition comes under the purview of the “Office of Profit”. We have not come across any Political Parties in the Country alleging the Leader of Opposition to be an office of profit.”
Saying that the DAN legislators’ lack of legal knowledge on the issue has brought shame to the people of Nagaland, the release issued by Imliyanger Jamir, NPCC General Secretary said that in a Parliamentary system there will always be a Ruling Party and an Opposition Party, “so terming the Leader of Opposition as holding “Office of Profit” shows that DAN MLAs are not qualified to be legislatures.”
The Executive Committee is aggrieved on the DAN Government failure to provide adequate security to protect the innocent citizens, particularly in Phek and Mon districts, where there is heavy concentration of underground groups and sequence of daily killings are taking place, he said. “The various public organisations have been appealing to the State Government to prevent the deteriorating law and order situation but the Government with their policy of ‘equi-closeness’ has not been responding to the call of the people.”
The NPCC Executive Committee has therefore appealed to the Government to immediately intervene into the matter and restore normalcy in the two districts.
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