EMN
Dimapur, November 27
With reference to news item carried on November 25 with caption “NPCC has brought disrepute to Speakers office’ the NPCC has said that the caption should have been ‘Speaker brought disrepute to speakers’ office” instead. “While smarting under the shadow of CM academic qualification fiasco, the Press bureau had stirred yet another hornet’s nest by putting the blame on NPCC for the sins committed by the Speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly on CLP-NPF merger. More on page 5
It is worthwhile to mention here that following the disqualification of three NCP MLAs, by the Speaker, the three MLAs challenged the Speaker’s ruling in the Gauhati High Court. After a brief legal battle, the Gauhati High Court in 2014 overruled the decision of Speaker. The Speaker appealed in the Supreme Court and the matter is now in the highest court of appeal i.e. the Supreme Court and hence ‘subjudice’. The merger of 3 NCP with BJP, which is pending in the Supreme Court will have a bearing on CLP merger with NPF and NPF Press Bureau must do well to reconcile to this reality,” Ayang Aonok, Working President NPCC in a statement said.
“The NPF Press Bureau interpretation of ‘subjudice’ is narrow, devoid of legal sense and learned bureau members therefore, needs brushing up of legal terminology and its usage to steer clear of regular goof up. The NPCC learnt the factual and literal meaning of the term ‘subjudice’, lately from the NPF Press bureau. However, within a fortnight, attempt is being made to give a new twist to the meaning itself in a new situation. The Press bureau has portrayed as if the Gauhati High Court verdict was final and binding oblivious of the fact that it is still pending in the Supreme Court. Hence to quote some sentences from the high court judgment to insulate the Speaker and insinuate the political rival is tantamount to declaring self the winner of the unfinished race.”
“The Speaker recognition of the merger of CLP with NPF, taking a cue from Gauhati High Court Judgment, when he himself is an appellant challenging the Gauhati High Court judgment in the Supreme Court, which is ipso facto ‘subjudice’ is not only depravity of irrational and prudence, but contradictory, arbitrary and illegal. The Press bureau portrayal of the speaker that he can do no wrong; protected as much as by the judgment of Gauhati high court without realizing that the Speaker himself has challenged the Gauhati high Court verdict in the Supreme Court is fallacious and erroneous to say the least.”
The statement said, “In this context, NPCC president criticism of speaker action was valid. However, be that as it may, NPF Press bureau seemed to be little too sensitive given the fact that in democracy freedom of dissent and to criticize is an integral part of the system and no entity no matter how high and mighty must be equated with a “Holy Cow.” Having been unsuccessful in their attempt to suppress facts and proved economical with truth on the issue of chief minister’s academic qualification, the press bureau utterances on the role of speaker on CLP-NPF and NCP-BJP merger issue and legal dimension and its fallout has stoked more needless controversy. The NPF Press Bureau is expected to be more matured in dealing with such sensitive political discourse and restrain them from focusing only on scoring political points but also learn to accept constructive criticism in order to improve the level of political debate.”
