The two Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislators – BS Nganlang Phom of 49 Tamlu Assembly constituency and T Torechu from 60 Kiphire Pungro Assembly constituency on Tuesday has hit back at Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on his remark that the NPF had not opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 three years back when it was introduced.
The two legislators in a joint statement issued on Tuesday stated that it was ‘unprincipled’ on the part of the Chief Minister to blame the NPF for not raising the matter way back in 2016 and opposing the same now, because he (Rio) was the lone parliamentarian of NPF representing Nagaland then, reports The Nagaland Post.
Phom and Torechu in the statement also said that Rio should have ‘educated the NPF party in the State and Naga people in general’ on the matter instead of pointing his finger at the NPF party.
The two legislators also claimed that the Chief Minister sought the attention of the Centre for review of the Bill only after the opposition NPF raised the issue.
The NPF legislators said that Rio as former Lok Sabha MP should understand the proceedings of Parliament, and ‘place before the public domain for debate on the ramifications of the bill on the Nagas and take a clear stand on the controversial Bill because after it is passed in the Rajya Sabha, the matter cannot be reviewed’.