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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday assured the people of Nagaland that the BJP-led central government wants a quick solution to the decades-old Naga peace talks.
The veteran BJP leader also asserted that addressing the issues of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), which has been demanding a separate state, will be the responsibility of the next NDPP-BJP government.
"The NDPP-BJP coalition will form the government in Nagaland (again) after polls. We will solve all problems of the state," Shah said while addressing an election rally here.
The NDPP-BJP is contesting the election in a 40-20 seat-sharing formula.
The organisers claimed that Shah's visit is the first by any Union Home minister to this district in the eastern tip of Nagaland, which also shares a boundary with Myanmar.
Nagaland stands with peace ushered in by PM @narendramodi Ji. Addressing a public rally in Mon Town assembly. https://t.co/ieBJUf93X1
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 20, 2023
Reiterating the BJP's commitment towards the Naga peace talks, Shah said, "Our aim is to make peace talks successful and solve Naga political problem quickly."
"I want you to believe that Narendra Modi and the Union Home minister are aware of your emotions, and with all respect for you, we will proceed with the talks," he said.
To find a solution to the decades-old problem, the Centre government has been holding separate negotiations with NSCN-IM since 1997 and the Working Committee of Naga National Political Group (NNPG), comprising at least seven groups, since 2017.
The Modi government inked a Framework Agreement with NSCN-IM in 2015 and Agreed Position with NNPGs in 2017. However, the final solution is yet to be attained with NSCN-IM remaining adamant on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas.
While releasing the BJP manifesto for the Nagaland election on February 14, party president J P Nadda asserted that the solution to the Naga political issue is in the final stage as the Narendra Modi government is tirelessly working on it. However, the manifesto has no mention of it.
Shah asserted that incidents of violence have gone down by 70 per cent in the entire North East in the last eight years.
Areas under AFSPA have also been reduced and, in Nagaland, it is was withdrawn from 15 police station areas of seven Nagaland districts, he added.
On the demands of the ENPO which is demanding a separate 'Frontier Nagaland' comprising six districts of the eastern part of the state alleging lack of development, he said the issues raised by it are legitimate'.
"We discussed and understood their problems and assured them that the new government that will be formed under (chief minister Neiphiu) Rio ji will resolve these problems," he said, in an apparent reference to the talks held that had led the ENPO to withdraw its call for boycotting the Nagaland polls.
"Whatever is needed, like extra budgetary allocations, more power to council, equal development, NDPP-BJP govt will work on it," the BJP leader added.
"I want to tell the people of eastern Nagaland that solutions to your problems are not far," Shah added.
He also took a swipe at the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi.
Shah alleged that the tendency of the Congress leaders to indulge in mud-slinging against Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased since Rahul Gandhi became its leader.
"The kind of language the Congress spokesperson has used (for PM) and the sort of reaction it has drawn from people from across the country... you will see Rahul Gandhi that the Congress will not be visible even through telescope after the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. People will respond through the ballot box," Shah told the rally.
Shah neither made reference to any objectionable word nor named the Congress leader, but BJP leaders said it was in relation to Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera recently referring to the prime minister as "Narendra Gautamdas Modi".
Khera made the statement while criticising the government over the row involving the business conglomerate headed by Gautam Adani.
The union home minister pointed out that it was the BJP which sent the first woman representative from Nagaland to the Rajya Sabha with the incumbent member, Phangnon Konyak, acting as the translator of Shah's speech in Hindi to Nagamese at the rally.
Shah will spend the night in Mon and participate in another rally in Tuensang district on Tuesday. He is scheduled to meet representatives of ENPO and other organisations during his stay here.