NPF has suspended 15 office-bearers of 17th Chizami Area Unit and dissolved the unit with immediate effect.
In an expulsion order issued on Monday by NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, it was mentioned that the 17th Chizami area unit office bearers had written an open letter on February 17 to him and also widely published in a section of the local dailies and had gone viral in social media.
On receiving the open letter, the NPF’s Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) examined the letter and issued summons on February 29 to signatories of the open letter to appear in person on March 2 at the central office for clarification.
While the committee opted not to publish the summon letter in local dailies or upload it in official social media group of the party with an intention to settle the matter amicably, the expulsion order noted that the summon letter was uploaded in social media by signatories of the open letter.
Instead of responding to the summon letter, the signatories openly defied not to appear in person before Disciplinary Action Committee. And the communication not to appear in person was received by the committee on February 29 and widely published in the local media and went viral in social media.
Noting that the first step of writing an open letter itself was a breach of party discipline, the order said the second step of uploading the summon letter in social media was also a breach of party discipline.
Similarly, defying to appear in person before Disciplinary Action Committee on the appointed time, place and date was a breach of party discipline too as was the act of publish and uploading in social media the defiance to appear before DAC, it pointed out.
Having come to the conclusion that the actions warranted disciplinary action not less than expulsion from the party and on perusal of records available relating to the matter and after proper application of mind, DAC recommended expulsion of their membership from the party.
The committee also recommended dissolution of the 17th Chizami Area unit.
In pursuance of the DAC recommendation and in exercise of the powers conferred vide clause 9 of Article V read with Article XIV of NPF’s constitution, Liezietsu ordered their expulsion from the party with immediate effect until further orders.
Meanwhile, speaking to Nagaland Post, a senior party functionary pointed out that NPF functioned within certain parameters and emphasised that nobody could challenge the party leadership. He explained that the area unit could not write directly to the party president or central office but through its own division as writing directly was tantamount to undermining its own division. The senior member exuded confidence to reinstate the unit without much delay with committed and principled leaders in 17th Chizami Area Unit.