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India sacks elected state government in troubled Nagaland

India dismissed an elected state government in its troubled northeast after a controversial no-confidence vote triggered political uncertainty there, officials said yesterday.

The decision by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Cabinet would bring Nagaland under federal rule, weeks before the state is due to elect a new legislative assembly.

The state poll is expected to go ahead as planned.

"The union Cabinet has decided to impose president's rule in Nagaland because of the prevailing political uncertainty," a senior home ministry official told reporters by phone from New Delhi. "The state assembly has been dissolved."

The decision came after Nagaland's coalition government, backed by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), managed to stay in office even though it lost a no-confidence vote moved by the opposition last month.

The coalition survived after a controversial decision by the assembly speaker not to consider seven votes cast against the government by disgruntled ruling party legislators.

Nagaland's dismissed Chief Minister Neiphu Rio said the move to impose federal rule was "not only illegal and unconstitutional, but also murder of democracy."

Meanwhile, eight people were killed and 20 injured when police opened fire on protesters demanding village elections in northeastern India, police said yesterday.

The incident occurred in Assam state when a call for a shutdown turned violent, a police spokesman said.

Protesters were trying to enforce a strike to press for their demand for elections in the area, which is run by an autonomous council of tribal people.

Soldiers were called in the state's Goalpara district and a curfew was imposed to prevent further unrest, deputy inspector-general of Assam police G.P. Singh said.
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