Dimapur, Oct. 14 (EMN): Smarting from being dismissed as an old tape recorder blaring the same song in repeat, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Sunday retorted by saying that the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) “repeatedly echoing their unity stand and firing lies after lies (sic)” was an indication of their “insecurity in handling their partners and running the affair of the state.”
The opposition party issued a statement on Sunday claiming, “dislodging any ruling government is the duty and prime requisite of any opposition party.” Therefore, the NPF argued, “to play the old tape recorder from new one is absolutely the discretion of NPF and it is not the business of the NDPP to bother about (sic).”
According to the party, it was ‘natural’ for the NDPP to feel insecure with their numbers (17) against the NPF’s 26 legislators since “at any point of time, the NPF may topple their PDA government.”
It alleged that the PDA government was “made by a cheater in the person of Neiphiu Rio as the chief minister of Nagaland.” He was elected to the 12th NLA and as leader of NPF legislature party and installed as the chief minister, it stated.
“…but insisted of contesting in the Lok Sabha poll 2014 by betraying his assembly constituency people whom they have elected him to be their representative. The NPF legislatures party, the NPF party and the DAN alliance have requested him not to go to Lok Sabha and continue as the chief minister but he refused and therefore, the NPF and the people of the state elected him to Lok Sabha according to his desire.
“However, on his disappointment at New Delhi, he again cheated the Naga people and resigned from his seat and came for the state electoral battle. With the support of the BJP alliance, Rio was made the chief minister of PDA government but from the day one till date, none of his commitment made to the Naga people were attained,” it claimed.
It also accused Rio of committing “one of the biggest blunders in the entire history of the Naga people” by alleging that he had “sold away the legitimate right of the Nagas to be integrated under one administrative umbrella by rejecting in the National media and reducing to emotional integration, which reflect his concern for the Naga people.”
“Again, Rio cheated and fooling the Naga people that his PDA government will not oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 by stating that Article 371 (A) has given sufficient protection to the Naga people. The chief minister is either confused himself or intentionally fooling the Naga people that while passing the GST Bill in the floor of the august House, he stated, Nagas are protected and had nothing to worry about but GST does not exclude any classification of people in the country.
“Regarding the hue and cry by the NDPP in defending the NLA Speaker’s office, the NPF legislature have only asked for an appropriate time where the issues pertaining to the welfare of the Naga people is discussed. However, the PDA government is not willing to give even an hour to the opposition members for discussion hour but allotted only 8 minutes in the recently concluded Assembly session. But if the PDA is feeling insecure to face for one hour discussion and scared of their misdeed to enter into the public domain, it is for the people to understand how stable and accountable the present PDA government is,” the statement read.
The bottom line, it claimed was that “any fracture caused to the PDA government will be the creation of its own leader as the NPF is in no mood to lure away any members of the PDA as alleged by the NDPP.”
