The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has asked the state governor to nullify the appointment of Advisors to various government departments and pro-tem Speaker, accusing the new NDPP-BJP government of rushing to allot portfolios to 37 MLAs-elect.
In a press release, the NPCC Working President, Khriedi Theunuo, said that the 37 elected members were not full-fledged MLAs of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) until they take oath of office administered by Speaker or pro-tem Speaker.
“Nonetheless, the NDPP-BJP government, in clear violation of the constitutional principles of the separation of powers between the legislature, judiciary and executive which is the basic structure of the Constitution of India, has given the executive powers as Advisors to the 24 of them,” read the press release.
It also said that the appointment of Mhathung Yanthan as the pro-tem Speaker to administer oath of office to the newly elected members of the 14th NLA is in contravention to the laid down norms as he took oath for the same a day after he was allotted the executive powers as an Advisor to Agriculture department.
It added that “the clause quoted by the NDPP-BJP government for appointment of the pro-tem Speaker” does not exist.