NPF spat continues as Rio’s group plays ‘legal and moral’ card

Dimapur, August 20 (EMN): Continuing the ugly spat between rival NPF factions, the group in support of Lok Sabha member, Neiphiu Rio stated that the group headed by Dr Shurhozelie Liezitsu has “no legal or moral authority to question or overrule the majority group which has chosen Neiphiu Rio as its president”.
This claim was made through a press statement issued by the ‘NPF Press and Information Cell’ on Sunday. “A fifteen-day timeframe was given to Dr Shürhozelie, erstwhile NPF president to resign from his post since he has lost the majority support of the NPF MLAs and the party rank and file at all levels of the organization. But since he has utterly disregarded the voice of the majority and did not tender his resignation within said period, it has now become incumbent upon Neiphiu Rio to function as the full-fledged president of the NPF Party.
“The media and press bureau of Dr Shürho (sic) has no legality in propagating the agenda of the minority group since the voice of the majority in the legislature and the party set up is solidly behind Neiphiu Rio who has been popularly chosen to lead the NPF party. Therefore, it is very much legal for the NPF to call for a CEC meeting on August 22 since the actions of the minority group within the party cannot dictate the entire NPF”, the statement read.
Repeating its earlier statement, the group stated that ‘all actions taken by the minority NPF under the leadership of Dr Shürhozelie after July 13th, 2017 has been declared null and void’. “If there is any illegality anywhere, it is with the minority NPF group and its ‘misinformation and propaganda bureau’ which is relentlessly trying to confuse the people with concocted versions and misinterpretations of the laws of the country and the constitution of the NPF’.

NPF Dimapur pledges support to Rio
The NPF Dimapur division comprising its office bearers, and “its frontals” (sic) namely the women wing, youth wing, minority wing, farmers’ wing etc and the 5 A/C units of the party have declared their support to Neiphiu Rio, on Saturday.
This was informed through another press release from the “NPF Press and information Cell”, issued on Sunday. “The joint delegation, also accompanied by the women wing and minority wing of the NPF central, expressed their happiness upon (sic) Neiphiu Rio being chosen to lead the NPF party.
“Addressing the delegation, the NPF president expounded on the present crisis in the NPF party and gave a detailed background on how the impasse came to its present stage. Rio stated that after he left the state for Delhi as MP Lok Sabha in 2014, infighting began and has continued since then. He explained the sequence of events and asked the delegation to judge for themselves since the numerous petitions and appeals filed by the minority group have all been rejected in the courts of law from the Kohima Bench to the Supreme Court. He asserted that the people are not fools and that truth and justice always prevails”, the statement read.
It also reported the former chief minister as expressing “amusement over the fact that the minority NPF group went against everyone who did not support their stand, from the governor to the Supreme Court’.
“Rio also shared his vision for the Nagas and envisioned a future where there would be all-round development and a youth-empowered society. ‘We should be proud to be Naga,’ he affirmed and said such a dream could become a reality only if people unite and make sacrifices. ‘Only then we will see good days,’ he added”, it informed.
Various speakers ‘ledged their unflinching support to Neiphiu Rio as president of NPF and vowed to steer the NPF party to victory in the next general elections’, the statement claimed further.