Asked to respond on or before Dec 26
Naga People’s Front (NPF) Thursday issued show-cause notices to its Rajya Sabha MP, KG Kenye and Lok Sabha MP from Outer Manipur, Lorho S Pfoze for voting in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in parliament and thus, defying the party’s resolution of opposing the bill. Notices were issued to both the MPs by the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) chairman Blaise Iheilung and secretary Tsumongo Ovung. Both MPs have been asked to respond as to why Disciplinary Action should not be initiated against them.
Accordingly, the two MPs have been directed to submit their reply within seven days from the date of issue of this notice, on or before December 26, 2019.
The notices were issued after the party’s Central Executive Council (CEC) held a meeting Thursday to deliberate on the actions of both the members of Parliament in the recent Parliament session on CAB/Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The DAC pointed out that party’s “core committee” and CEC had adopted resolutions opposing the CAB/CAA (on January 30 and 31, 2019 respectively), and the same resolutions were reaffirmed during the party’s consultative meeting held on March 30 this year.
However, DAC said Kenye and Pfoze, in total defiance of the party’s ‘resolutions’, voted in favour of the CAA/CAB. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and the Rajya Sabha cleared the bill on December 11.
DAC reminded that Kenye– as NPF secretary general and Pfoze– a member of the CEC, were expected to act/vote in consonance with the standing resolutions of the party.
NDPP Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland Tokheho Yepthomi also voted in favour of CAB. NDPP is a BJP ally.
It may be recalled that the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) had asked the three Naga Members of Parliament– TokhehoYepthomi, KG Kenye and Lorho S. Pfoze to publicly state the rationale behind their support for the Bill and also explain to the general public, as to why the Act will not affect the people they represent.
NSF said the MPs had voted in favour of the CAB “without considering the threat and the consequences” that it posed to the indigenous inhabitants of NE states. Though, Tokheho Yepthomi responded by issuing a statement clarifying his stand on why he voted for CAB, Kenye and Lorho have so far, not responded.