Dimapur, November 21 : The NPCC has dubbed the 5-point whip issued by the chief whip of the NPF to its members through the local media on November 18 for 13th session of 12th NLA sessions as unprecedented and unparallel in the annals of Indian parliamentary democracy.
“Unable to stem the chorus of censure against the DAN government by the head of the state, NPF ally BJP and the people at large, NPF has taken a leaf out of fascist principle wherein one leader is glorified and assigned dictatorial power,” the NPCC media cell said in a release on Monday.
Stating that in normal circumstances, a whip is issued by all political parties to its elected members in accordance with parliamentary practices and procedure before each session of Parliament and State Assembly, the NPCC said: “However the whip issued by the NPF chief whip smack of a threat by a dictator to its subjects to fall in line or face the consequences.”
It maintained that the first point of the whip itself is an indication of a ‘diktat’ of the worst kind sternly warning NPF MLAs that absence during voting to be considered as violations of the directives. “This is a veil threat to the NPF MLAs that absence at the time of voting will face disqualification,” the Congress said.
Notwithstanding the feat of stitching an “Opposition Mukt” government, the NPCC said TR Zeliang appears to have gripped by fear psychosis. “The lack of congress MLAs has failed to ease his predicament, and presence of overcrowded NPF MLAs has taken a toll on him and suddenly chose to browbeat its own MLAs, by issuing a whip to stem expose his wrongdoing,” it stated.
Stating that the presence of a lone Independent MLA in NLA is also making TR Zeliang “nervous, paranoid and ostensibly sending shivers down his spine”, the Congress felt the chief whip has served a strong warning to the NPF legislators to vote against any motion by Independent members against the DAN government. “The most comical and the weirdest of the 12th Session of the NLA is the directive given by the chief whip wherein TR Zeliang, the leader of the house will give indication– nay wink at all NPF MLAs, whether the statement made by independent MLA is favorable or inimical to the government,” it said.
According to the Congress, this implies that ruling NPF MLAs are incapable of ascertaining what is favourable and what is inimical and hence the chief whip directed that TR Zeliang in his capacity as the leader of the house will “invariably indicate” whether the statement by “independent MLA is favorable or inimical”. “The final nail in the coffin of NPF MLAs is that no legislators will be allowed to issue any ‘statement or criticize which would cause embarrassment or lose of face of NPF or DAN government’ during the 13th Assembly session,” the NPCC stated.
Stating that it is not trying to poke its nose in the internal matters of NPF, but, the NPCC said, the manner in which a whip is issued in the form of a threat will only demean the elected representative regardless of party affiliation.
