If BJP Can Introduce Unconstitutional Bill, Why Can't We, Says Mizo Party After EC Notice

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) served a show cause notice to the People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) early this week, seeking an explanation on its president Vanlalruata’s recent poll promise of bringing a bill in the state assembly to secede Mizoram from India.

Local reports said the notice, issued by the ECI secretary Anand Kumar Pathak, asked PRISM why it should not de-register it as a political party for making a statement contrary to the constitution, one which involves “the question of unity and integrity of the country”. It pointed out that PRISM is registered with the ECI under Section 29A of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, as per the constitutional norms.

Vanlalruata’s public statement during the run-up to the April 11 elections was a repeat of what he said during the campaign for the assembly elections held early this year. He reportedly said then too that if the ruling BJP re-introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in parliament, his party would introduce in the Mizoram assembly a bill to secede the northeastern state from India.

PRISM, an anti-corruption watchdog that spun itself into a political party before the last assembly elections, was served a notice by the ECI then as well seeking an explanation to its position on the promise to bring a ‘Right to Secession Bill’.

Also read: Citizenship Bill: Legislative Chaos or Amnesia?

Speaking to The Wire from Aizawl, Rina Chawngthu, the general secretary (political affairs) of PRISM, said, “This is the second time we have been issued a notice by the ECI. The first one was on March 18; we replied to it on March 27. This time too, we are preparing our reply which would be submitted to the ECI before June 20, the last date given to us by the Commission to respond to the notice.”

Rina said the argument that PRISM would furnish to the ECI won’t be any different from its earlier one. “Our reasoning has been clear. If BJP national president Amit Shah can say in so many public meetings that his party would bring a Bill which is opposed to the secular tenets of the constitution, and can affect the unity and integrity of the country but goes scot-free even after violating the constitutional norms, what can stop us from talking about bringing a bill which doesn’t fit the constitutional norms?”

“If we are issued a show cause notice by the ECI for a comment that it has categorised as anti-constitutional, which goes against the integrity and unity of the country, then why was the BJP not issued one [for its promise which] didn’t fall within the constitutional norms and will not only affect the northeastern region but can also divide (affect) the country demographically?”

Aside from stating that the Citizenship Bill, which would grant Indian citizenship to a set of foreigners on religious grounds in West Bengal and elsewhere during his campaign for the general elections, BJP president Shah said the same in a meeting of party workers in Lakhimpur area of Assam on February 18. The pledge to re-introduce the Bill is also mentioned in the BJP manifesto for the general elections.

Along with the rest of the Northeast, Mizoram too witnessed massive protest against the Citizenship Bill. The contention was that it would make the Chakmas eligible for Indian citizenship. Many Mizos suspect that the population of Chakmas may have gone up in the state due to the ‘illegal’ entry of many from Bangladesh, with which Mizoram shares a border.

PRISM contested the lone parliamentary seat but lost to the ruling Mizo National Front.

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