Kohima:Gauhati High Court has issued a notice to Nagaland Assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo and Assembly Secretary A E Lotha, asking them why contempt should not be drawn against them for willfully violating its order dated September 12, 2014.
According to official sources today, the case is related to the disqualification of BJP MLAs by the Speaker after three NCP MLAs merged with the BJP recently in Nagaland.
The three BJP MLAs are M Kikon, Imtilemba Sangtam and Dr T M Lotha. They had gone to court challenging the Speaker’s order and the court had stayed it.
However, even after the stay order the Nagaland Assembly had apparently denied the privileges of being MLAs to the three members and even their salaries and allowances had been withheld.
Senior Advocate S S Dey, representing the BJP, today said that the stay order means that the MLAs are reinstated and must be given all facilities due to them.
The case is being argued against by Nagaland Government’s Legal Adviser, R Kothandaraman. Interestingly, the BJP, which is a partner in the ruling Democratic Alliance in Nagaland (DAN)
Senior BJP leaders, who have been monitoring the case and were present in the court, informed the press that they are dismayed with the state government for using its Legal Adviser in opposing the BJP in court. They also informed that some prominent businessmen, who operate in Nagaland, were also present in the court premises and they are looking into their antecedents.
The BJP leaders have informed that whatever steps it is taking and whatever statement has been released is based on the collective decision of the State BJP and has the clearance of its central leadership. (UNI)