DIMAPUR, MARCH 31 (MExN): Taking the office of profit issue deeper, the Nagaland Peoples’ Front today rebutted the remark of Leader of Opposition I Imkong which earlier appeared as a news report. Imkong had said “the Chief Minister is a confused man.”
“This is to clarify that contrary to his contention, the Leader of Opposition is thoroughly confused,” an NPF release said. The Congress (I) Party and the Leader of Opposition should be aware of the Nagaland State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1964 that exempts the members from disqualification for holding any office of profit. “On his contention which goes as, ‘If Advani resigns, so will I’ is merely a political rhetoric and does not hold any substance as it is amply clear that the Parliament (prevention of disqualification) Act, 1959 only covers the Office of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament whereas, ironically, there is no such Act that stands to provide protection to the Leader of Opposition in Nagaland,” NPF General Secretary Akang Ao and Press Secretary R Paphino said.
Noting that the Congress Party and Imkong should know that Parliament and State Legislature are two distinct identities, the release said, “So also the Leader of Opposition in Parliament having an immunity for disqualification under Parliament Act, 1959 in no way rescues the Leader of Opposition in Nagaland from disqualification in view of absence of such protective Act.”
Further, the NPF said it was logical to mention that if the Parliament Act was enacted in 1959, the Nagaland State Legislature members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1964 should also cover immunity for the Leader of Opposition in Nagaland.
“But in absence of this protective provision, the Leader of Opposition in Nagaland will be an odd man out and therefore, no amount of argument or contention will save him from disqualification epidemic which is currently plaguing the whole country.”
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