Threatened for asking questions, says Naga MLA in Facebook post

Seeking answers to uncomfortable questions, it appears, can make even a legislator feel unsafe in India.

Mmhuonlumo Kikon, a member of Nagaland’s 60-member legislative assembly, took to Facebook last week, saying he was threatened for submitting certain questions to be answered during the assembly session from March 21.

The questions, submitted to the commissioner and secretary of Nagaland legislative assembly, were on the appointments made by the state’s home department from 2013 to 2017.

Kikon, 39, represents the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Bhandari assembly seat in Nagaland’s Wokha district.

In a post on his Facebook page, Kikon said he received “veiled and open threats” to withdraw his starred and un-starred questions. “It is the legitimate right of any legislator to pose questions in the legislative assembly concerning the welfare of the people and especially about good governance in the state as it is of utmost importance. Whereas the winter session in 2016 saw a glimpse of debate on issues pertinent to the accountability of the government, I have ventured answers to the manner on which Nagaland Government appoint its employees. A normal democratic constitutional exercise for any other state I did not expect the hullabaloo it generated…” his post read.

Kikon also said there were threats of visits to the houses of his family with “consequences beyond the political”.

On Saturday, he told reporters in Nagaland that the threats and pressure to withdraw questions were from home department “intermediaries”. He also said he received text messages implying his career could be in peril.

Officials in the department denied issuing threats, directly or indirectly.