Nagaland political crisis: Shurhozelie Liezietsu says dismissal of his govt 'illegal and unconstitutional'

Kohima: Dethroned Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu on Thursday alleged that the decision of Governor PB Acharya in dismissing his government and installing TR Zeliang as chief minister was “illegal and unconstitutional”. Interacting with the media at his official residence here tonight, Liezietsu alleged, “The governor dismissed my government without following any procedure and rules.It was illegal and unconstitutional." [caption id=“attachment_3832747” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of former Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu. NPFWeb.org[/caption] Recalling the sequence of events since 8 June leading to his dethroning on Wednesday, Liezietsu, who is the president of the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF), said that the dissident MLAs had staked claim to form the new government from Kaziranga in Assam. The court had stated that the governor should exercise his mind on the matter, he pointed out, but the governor might not have got time to do so as by 6 pm the same night he wrote to him asking to prove my majority by 9:30 the next morning. He said that he wrote back to the governor requesting that it was not possible as his supporting legislators were not in station due to personal engagements and therefore kindly consider another date for the floor test. Liezietsu also alleged that the governor did not reply back to his request but the next morning without informing him about any further decision, they went ahead with the Assembly proceedings. Terming the present situation as a ‘temporary setback’, Liezietsu asserted, “We do not have any bad feelings against anybody because we stand for truth and it will win at the end”. On the decision to contest the bye-election to become a regular member of the House and continue the chair, Liezietsu clarified that it was because the state cabinet had on 26 May asked him to contest the poll which was also supported by the NPF Central Executive Council. On the floor test on Friday, Liezietsu said, “A whip has been issued to all NPF legislators in the Assembly to vote against the motion moved by Zeliang”. He said that anybody voting against the whip would be dealt with as per the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.