Dimapur, Feb. 13 (EMN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has taken a dig at Tokheho Yepthomi, the Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland, over his statement that he was not in the Parliament when the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed in the Lower House last month, saying that he had “gambled” with the fate of the Nagas.
Responding to the accusation that he voted for the controversial Bill on Jan. 8, Yepthomi had issued a statement saying that he didn’t vote as he was in Zunheboto for the DISHA committee quarterly meeting during that time.
Through a statement issued on Wednesday, the NPF questioned the MP for abstaining to vote on an important issue that could have an impact on the future of the Nagas and that he should have opposed the Bill “tooth and nail” in the Parliament. “How can a member of the Lok Sabha who represents the whole Naga populace failed to be in the war-front for his people in the most trying times?” asked NPF.
The NPF also asked what took the MP so long to come out and reveal his stand on the issue and asserted that he is expected to brief and consult the people on crucial matters and be present in the Parliament to fight for the Nagas. The party said that “no amount of justification can undo the damage done.”
The party went on to say that “the MP has lost all moral right to represent the Naga people and the state basing on his poor performance and hypocritical role surrounding the CAB issue with intention to sell out the future of the Nagas to our adversaries.”
In a separate statement, spokesperson of NPF Achumbemo Kikon refuted reports on electronic and social media that the state’s lone Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye would abstain from voting on the CAB. He said the party had adopted a resolution during the Central Executive Council’s meeting on Jan. 31 that its MP would vote against the Bill.
Survival Nagaland joins the chorus
Survival Nagaland, a pressure group that keeps a check on unabated influx of illegal immigrants into the state, has criticised the Central government for going ahead with the CAB despite protests by the people of Northeast. It also criticised the state’s lone Lok Sabha MP for refraining from voting against the Bill last month.
It also asked several question including ‘why the government choose to remain mute to illegal population swarming the indigenous land right in front of their eyes for decades; and why the government randomly issue trade licence to people of doubtful origin without ascertaining the genuine citizenship and allow them to build business empire in our land when we boasts of BEFR Act 1873.
Survival Nagaland said in a statement that it is open to work with ‘Nagaland GB Federation (NGBF), student bodies and all the tribal apex bodies to take this movement forward. As much as we oppose CAB and press for ILP, we need to take concerted efforts to stop allotting residential and commercial space to illegal migrants and stop employing them. This can be practically achieved only if tribal hohos and civil societies pass stringent resolutions binding on all tribes, covering every villages and towns of Nagaland.’
While appreciating the recent bandhs spearheaded by JCPI, NGBF and student bodies, it said that it will “continue to combat the menace of illegal settlement of foreigners under CAB 2016.”
Former BJP leader Hayithung Bill Lotha said that Nagaland state’s lone Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi should resign on moral grounds for abstaining from voting when the CAB was passed in the Lower House last month.
‘Being a responsibly elected Member of Parliament, his job is to be in Delhi defending and protecting our rights and working for the people of our State. He should not have escaped Parliament Session at this most crucial stage, when a very important bill voting was taken up,’ he said, adding that “abstaining itself is a form of support for the CAB Bill.”
While taking a dig at the BJP and Yepthomi, he was all praise for Leader of Opposition TR Zeliang for his stand on CAB.
