Lotha Hoho accuses TR Zeliang of ‘tribal’ favouritism

MINISTERS’ SACKING

Dimapur, Dec. 17 (EMN): Chief Minister TR Zeliang’s decision to sack former ministers Y Patton and Mmhonlumo Kikon, among others, has invited instant objection from the Lotha Hoho with the latter wondering if the chief minister has “gone berserk”.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Lotha Hoho expressed ‘shock and surprise’ at the dismissal of the two Lotha ministers while questioning why the ‘chief minister had targeted the Lotha ministers in particular’.
According to the organisation, ‘those tribes having ministers have been given more ministerial berths’ while the Lotha tribe, with ‘only four MLAs’, had been targeted and all its ministers sacked.
“Is this fair and democratic or is it that the DAN ministry does not want any Lotha MLA to be a minister or has the Nagaland CM gone berserk? The LH questions the sanity of the CM and DAN leaders and wanted (sic) to know if the Nagaland state politics is for tribalism or favouritism or nepotism!
“The LH will not say anything on matters of internal party affairs; but when the matter pertains to social rights the LH would assert that the Lotha community will not accept any such discrimination and will not support such a farcical govt,” the statement read.
It demanded that the Lotha legislators be “immediately” included in the new ministry ‘lest the Lotha community is compelled to withdraw its support to the govt’. The Lotha Hoho also asserted that an “elected leader cannot be made a tool or errand runner of the party or the CM or party leaders”.