NPF suspends senior leader and Nagaland's lone RS member Kenye

Amid a countrywide brouhaha over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Nagaland's main opposition party - the Naga People's Front (NPF)- has suspended its secretary-general and the state's lone Rajya Sabha member KG Kenye for voting in favor of the legislation in Parliament. The suspension order was issued on Wednesday by NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu, following a consultative meeting of party's senior members, who requested its disciplinary committee to recommend action against Kenye for not toeing the party line, an official release said.

The committee, while making its recommendation at the meeting, maintained that it was not convinced with the explanation rendered by Kenye in reply to a show-cause notice served on him for favoring the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), it said. It also said that Kenye had made an attempt to dictate terms by trying to force his own interpretation of the citizenship law on the members.

Kenye's conduct and action inside the Upper House of Parliament on this particular issue (citizenship bill) do not reflect or represent NPF's stand, the release clarified. Liezietsu, on his part, said Kenye's action was "unbecoming of a high-profile party functionary and a direct assault on NPF's constitution".

"Kenye has willfully refused to be subjected to the party discipline... for which he has been suspended from its primary and active membership," he added.