KOHIMA: Nagaland Leader of Opposition and Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) leader T R Zeliang took serious note of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and demanded that the state government should clarify to the people on what ground it has decided not to oppose it, when other tribal-inhabited states, including Assam, have opposed it.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Dimapur on Saturday, Zeliang said the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 was not discussed in Nagaland assembly session, which was in the agenda, and then the cabinet came out with a vague decision on June 5, 2018.
In this regard, Zeliang informed that he had written to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on July 16, 2018 seeking clarification on the cabinet decision regarding the matter. However, Zeliang revealed that there has been no response to his query from the chief minister.
Zeliang slammed the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government of setting a bad precedence in not replying to queries posed by the opposition.
He also said the PDA government should not only reply to the opposition but also to the Naga people on why it has not opposed the bill 2016 that was a threat to the citizens.
Speaking at the press conference, NPF MLA Imkong Imchen said the bill was “negatively determining factor for the survival of the Naga people”.
Referring to the cabinet decision on the issue, Imchen said its view that Nagaland is protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution and the Inner Line Permit regulations was an insult to the intellect of the Naga people.
He opined that Article 371 (A) cannot override “Union Law,” but if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is passed by the Parliament then the bill will override Article 371 (A).
“Even if Naga people protest against the bill after it becomes an Act then we cannot do anything. It will be against the ILP, the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873,” Imchen warned.
He further said, “Bangladeshi Christians shall never come to Nagaland, but Bangladeshi Muslims will, provided they accept Hinduism. That is the logic behind the amendment.”
Imkong also questioned as to why the Prime Minister is apprehensive of the Christians in India when they have not done anything against him in person or the BJP. (UNI)
