• Says it’s difficult to understand why people are demanding his resignation
• Says ‘we feel sorry’ for the death of two youths on the night of January 31
Kohima, Feb. 7: Against the backdrop of the demand by Naga tribe organisations for his resignation, chief minister TR Zeliang today said the demand for his stepping down has gone beyond the issue of 33% reservation.
“My resignation or stepping down is beyond this 33% women reservation. I’ll step down if I’m reduced to minority (in a floor test),” Zeliang said while addressing a press conference at the State Banquet Hall at Kohima on Tuesday.
Citing the SR Bommai case which raised serious questions of law relating to proclamation of President's Rule and dissolution of Legislative Assemblies according to Article 356 of the Constitution of India, he said the Supreme Court order following this case was very clear that a floor test alone could give the verdict for a chief minister or prime minister to step down from any established government.
“If majority of the elected members say that they want to change the leadership, I am ready to resign. But as long as I enjoy the majority of elected members, there is no reason why I should resign or why I should step down,” Zeliang asserted.
When asked whether there will be a floor test in the state assembly, he said a floor test can take place only when an elected member challenges the leadership through a no confidence motion or confidence motion.
“Public shouting outside the House cannot invite a floor test,” he said, “Without specifying who should be the ultimate leader, asking MLAs to withdraw support…to support whom, that is the big question.”
Implying a win even if tested on the floor, he asserted that practically he enjoys the confidence of 59 members at present, excluding the Speaker.
On the call of the state Congress for President’s Rule (PR), the chief minister said such a step will not be easy, neither will it be good for the people of Nagaland. He pointed out that there might be some people with vested interest who want PR to be imposed in Nagaland but PR can be proclaimed only when passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. “I don’t see any ground to impose President’s Rule in Nagaland,” he stated.
On the events leading to the deaths of two youth in Dimapur on the night of January 31, Zeliang said: “We feel so sorry”. He pointed out that the state government has already set up a judiciary inquiry commission to investigate the incident, and to have impartial investigation, the police commissioner and the additional commissioner have been transferred.
While maintaining that he “feel sorry for the loss of the lives of the two innocent boys”, Zeliang said that they should have written to the government for consultation. “We don’t know who killed them, whether by police firing or from some other angle. For that, the inquiry report will tell us. It was unfortunate for all of us,” he added.
On the demands and ultimatums issued to him by different tribe bodies, Zeliang reminded that the JCC took up the matter and the NBCC convened a sitting with the state government and the JCC. “After they (JCC) agreed on 33% reservation and after the state government agreeing to postpone the election, I don’t know why this has now been transferred to NTAC again,” he said.
“We feel that Naga people should not be taken in this direction,” he maintained. When the issue is over with the elections being nullified, he said it was difficult to understand why they were now demanding for his resignation.
In regard with the closure of government offices and movement on government vehicles by tribe organisations, he said it was illegal but the government does not want confrontation of any kind.
He reasoned that closing of offices is disturbing the public as the service for the people is being halted. Also, he said the forceful act which some NGOs were imposing on the people such as forcing candidates not to file nominations or forcing them to withdraw candidature are illegal. Those who have not withdrawn were even excommunicated to the extent of 10 to 30 years, which is “very unbecoming according to the Naga customary system” and against the Constitution, he said.
Reacting to The Asian Age news report that he was planning on merging NPF party with BJP, Zeliang said such (merger) idea was beyond his dreams. He decried the news report, reproduced in some of the local dailies, saying that it was “totally misleading” and false.
To this, the minister for Roads & Bridges Vikheho, who was also present at the press conference, said such misreporting questions the credibility of the fourth estate. Pointing out that the NPF is one of the oldest regional parties in the country, he requested the press and media to verify their sources so that they avoid reporting just for the sake of reporting.
When asked about the government backtracking and agreeing to some of the demands of tribe bodies, Zeliang said: “We succumbed to pressure for the sake of peace and nothing else”. According to him the state government ‘never thought that the people would go up to this extent.’
“We thought the people would understand the position taken by the government but some organisation/vested interest has already aggravated the situation,” he stated.
When asked what he meant by “vested interests”, Zeliang refused to specify any one, saying he did not want to mention anyone but that people will ultimately come to know who was behind the ‘scheme’.
On moving for an ordinance by approaching Delhi with a memorandum to exempt Nagaland from Part IXA of the Constitution, Zeliang said the state Cabinet decided to do so but was yet to consult the people.
He said the cabinet’s view was that if the president or the prime minister agreed to issue an ordinance then the Act can be amended in the Parliament. “If we really do not want to go with the 33% reservation, that is the only way to uproot the Act. Once it is amended that the Act is not applicable in Nagaland, in line with Article 371A, then we can make our own Municipal Act like we have done in the case of VDB and village Council Act,” he claimed.
On the January 30 agreement, he claimed that the ULB elections was not specifically discussed. The house had agreed to postpone the elections to make the people understand, and the government’s decision was agreed in principle, he said.
“So we thought that postponement for the whole state may not be necessary, and decided that wherever there was no problem, the election should go ahead,” Zeliang said. “Our good gesture has been misunderstood. They thought the whole election process would be postponed. That was their contention, but our contention was that if they have accepted 33% reservation, they should not object to going ahead with election where there was no problem. That was our understanding.
He said his “goodwill and good intention” was misunderstood by the JCC and NBCC. “If this incident is taking place because of this misunderstanding, then I apologize,” he stated, adding “If we have committed that against the will of the NBCC or JCC….our line of thinking was with good intention, not with any ill motive. But that goodwill is misunderstood and such unfortunate incident has taken place where two boys have lost their lives. We feel sorry and I apologize on behalf of the government,” he said.
