All seven parliamentary secretaries in Mizoram resign

AIZAWL: All the seven parliamentary secretaries in Mizoram today submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and he accepted them.

Those who tendered resignation were K S Thanga, H Zothangliana, Lt Colonel Z S Zuala, K Lalrinthanga, T T Zothansanga, Hmingdailova Khiangte and Joseph Lalhimpuia.

The mass resignation came in the wake of the Supreme Court July 26 ruling on the The Assam Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004.

The Bench comprising Justice J Chelameswar, Justice R K Agrawal and Justice A M Sapre held that Assam legislature lacked competence to create the post of parliamentary secretaries. It declared that the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in Assam was unconstitutional.

Lal Thanhawla, who is also president of Mizoram PCC, however, appointed all the former parliamentary secretaries as its general secretaries.

A Congress statement said that the former parliamentary secretaries were appointed MPCC general secretaries to strengthen the party in view of the state assembly polls due next year end.

Former ministers Lalrinliana Sailo and Nihar Kanti Chakma, both legislators were also appointed as general secretaries, the statement added.