January 10th, 2008 
krishna The Union Government is not in the habit of explaining all its decisions that have a bearing on vital public interest. If the confidence motion that Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio won on December 13 last was controversial, President’s rule now imposed by the Centre in the state is no less contentious.
No wonder, Mr. Rio and his supporting parties like the BJP are shouting blue murder. They have a point when they say that if the decision of the Speaker to debar three Independents and nine dissidents of the ruling NPF from taking part in the December 13 voting was wrong, then so was a similar decision taken in Goa some time back. But there the Congress government has been allowed to function smoothly.
There cannot be separate sets of rules for states ruled by the Congress and other parties. It is really intriguing why the Congress has again opened itself to allegations of gross impropriety by dismissing Mr. Rio just about six weeks before his term was scheduled to end in any case and Assembly elections were due.
Not only that, former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A.Sangma has alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Center did not consult its partners while recommending imposition of President’s rule. His party and the Left parties had vehemently opposed this move. In fact, the Union Cabinet had taken up the matter last week and had devoted considerable time to it. It was felt that the imposition of President’s rule would be politically incorrect as the decision of the Speaker should not be confronted by the Central Government. But later, it succumbed to the pressure exerted by the State Congress leadership.
The turbulence caused by the decision has added substance to the allegations by the ousted Chief Minister and Mr. P A Sangma that the Congress is planning to rig the elections. After all, the dissidents of the NPF had sided with the Congress-led Nagaland Progressive Alliance. That made a mockery of anti-defection law.
The bigger worry is that the uncertainty brought in by the decision will affect the law and order situation in the highly sensitive North-Eastern state.
Posted in 
