Kohima, 22 January (MTNews): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) expressed shock and strong condemnation in response to the recent statement made by NDPP Member of Parliament, Tokheho Yepthomi, advocating for the revocation of Article 371(A).
The NPCC also said that the subsequent rejoinder issued by the MP does not offer an iota of merit, in terms of course correction necessitated by his original statement. This, it said, makes one wonder as to whether the initiative was at all about course correction or one aimed at adding salt to injury.
“It would auger well on the part of the honorable MP to remind himself of the fact that Article 371(A) not only accords special category status to Nagaland as a state, but also serves as an acknowledgement, as well as a constant reminder to all concerned about the uniqueness of the history of the Nagas as a People,” the NPCC added.
In light of the above, the NPCC said it failed to see any justification that could be considered as “even minutely justification enough for the atrociously ill-advised take of the lawmaker.” The NPCC added, “We ardently hope that he somehow finds his way back to good sense and take back his words with an unconditional apology to the people of Nagaland.”
‘Utter ideological bankruptcy’
The Congress party also said that the NDPP’s reaction towards this unfortunate development orchestrated by its MP isn’t helpful at all either.
“It’s a textbook lesson in political dereliction, coming from a place of utter ideological bankruptcy,” the Congress said.
It went on to say that the NDPP need to understand that the office that the MP holds, and the issue at hand, are way too serious and consequential to be brushed aside simply by disowning it.
The party expressed concern over the NDPP’s alignment with the RSS/BJP’s majoritarian agenda, undermining the hard-fought rights of the people of Nagaland.
The Congress said that it is a collective tragedy that the NDPP’s “anything for power” ideology has turned it into a pliable agent of the RSS/BJP’s “grand majoritarian scheme for uniformity & singularity across the Nation,” and that it cannot even muster enough moral agency to censure and mete out proportionate disciplinary action against its MP for so blatantly taking a stand against the hard fought rights of the people of Nagaland.
The NPCC asserted its commitment to vigorously defend the rights of Nagaland’s citizens under Article 371(A) and vowed to oppose any threats to the diversity and plurality of the nation.
“Lest there be any doubt, the NPCC will fight tooth and nail for the preservation of the rights of the citizens of Nagaland as enshrined under Article 371 (A), and will continue to oppose any assault on the plurality and diversity of our Nation in general,” it maintained.