Nagaland BJP legislator 'threatened' for asking questions

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator in Nagaland has received threats allegedly by supporters of Home Minister Y. Patton for submitting questions on the appointments in the Home Department to the state assembly secretariat.

Mmhonlumo Kikon, one of the four BJP members in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, has been receiving threatening text messages allegedly by Patton's supporters asking him to withdraw his starred and unstarred questions.

"For the last four to five days, I have been receiving threat messages on my mobile phone from supporters of the Home Minister forcing me to withdraw my starred and unstarred questions submitted to the assembly secretariat on the appointment process in the Home Department," Kikon told IANS over the phone.

The questions were submitted to the Commissioner and Secretary of Nagaland Legislative Assembly N. Benjamin Newmai to be answered during the budget session from March 21.

The BJP legislator has asked about procedure followed for the appointment of Sub Inspector, Assistant Sub Inspector, Armed Branch Sub Inspector, Unarmed Branch Sub Inspector, Nagaland Police Telecommunication Organisation besides third grade clerical posts for the year 2014-2017.

"In my queries, I have also asked the Home Minister to furnish the newspaper advertisement for the same posts before the interviews were called and conducted, if there is any," he said.

"I do not know why they are asking me to withdraw my questions. It is a right of any legislator to pose questions in the assembly concerning the welfare of the people and especially about good governance in the state," Kikon said.

The BJP legislator said that he would not withdraw his questions since he has also put up several questions seeking answers from the Health and Family Welfare Department, Food and Civil Supply Department, School Education Department and Roads and Bridges Department.

The BJP is supporting the 26-day-old Shurhozelie Liezietsu-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government. Paiwang Konyak, a BJP legislator is a cabinet minister in the government.

Liezietsu was sworn in as Chief Minister on February 22 after T.R. Zeliang resigned over the demands of protesting tribal groups who were opposed to his move to hold civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women.

--IANS

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