All efforts made to prevent such acts in future: TR Zeliang
Principal Correspondent
Kohima, February 21
In yet another suspected attack on legislators, at least three vehicles were damaged as a high intensity blast occurred near the official residences of Parliamentary Secretaries Y. Vikheho Swu and Deo Nukhu in Old Minister’s Hill here early morning.
The blast occurred at around 6:15 am.
Learning about the incident, police and security forces cordoned off the area and conducted intensive search operation. Police said that some miscreants reportedly came in a white Maruti Gypsy and fled the scene after hurling a crude bomb.
The impact of the blast was high but fortunately as the area was deserted being early morning, no human casualty has been reported, sources added. The splinters of the blast damaged the vehicles and window panes of some of the private residences, sources said.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered under South police station and intensified security frisking of vehicles has been launched to nab the culprits.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister TR Zeliang while expressing deep concern has condemned the incident involving high intensity blast that took place just outside the residence of Deo Nukhu, Parliamentary Secretary today.“The incident has raised suspicion as it took place within a few days of the firing that took place at the residence of Dr. Benjongliba, MLA,” Zeliang said in a statement issued by his media officer Karaibo Chawang.
Chawang also revealed that following the incident, a high level security coordination meeting was convened by the Chief Minister today, wherein all aspects of the incidents were discussed with valuable inputs from various agencies.
The Chief Minister has given clear instructions that no efforts should be spared to nab the culprits and ascertain the people behind such incidents, he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has appealed to the public to remain calm and not to panic as all efforts are being made to prevent such dastardly actions in future.
In another release Home Minister, Y Patton strongly condemned the bomb blast.
“The blast site is also not even far off from the official residential quarters of the Chief Minister, the Speaker and other Ministers,” he said adding that no casualty was there by the bomb explosion, though damages caused to at least three vehicles parked nearby while window panes were also damaged.
“It is very unfortunately that when the Naga people and various agencies have been making their concerted efforts to see that the Naga peace process reaches its logical conclusion, there are still some elements in our society who are trying to create confusions and disturbances in the minds of the Naga people in the state,” he said.
All the sensible people should condemn such cowardly and dastardly acts of terrorism, he said while adding that violence has no place in a civilized society and it can never be the means to bring peace and solution.
“Nagas have been suffering enough and time has come to reason together in finding a permanent and lasting peace in our land,” he added.
The Home Minister then asserted that the state government will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to see that peace and tranquility is not disturbed in the state.
Further, an emergency meeting of the legislators was held today at the Chief Minister’s Office to take stock of the law and order situations prevailing in the State, and passed the following resolutions:
The legislators present in the meeting resolved to condemn in the strongest manner the firing incident in the Dimapur residence of Dr. Benjongliba Aier, MLA and former Minister on the night of February 18, whereby some miscreants fired using AK rifles at the residence and also lobbed a grenade in the compound, which fortunately did not explode, and another incident near the residence of Deo Nukhu and Y.Vikheho Swu, parliamentary secretaries, in Kohima this morning, where a bomb was on exploded by some miscreants, causing damage to the fencing and some vehicles parked on the road side, fortunately, nobody was injured.
The legislators while condemning the two incidents appealed to all right thinking citizens and NGOs to condemn such act of violence, and resolved not to be cowed down by such cowardly acts.
The Pochury Hoho, Pochury Students Union, Pochury Women Organisation and the Pochury GB Union expressed shocked over the implant bomb blast on the road in between the official residence of Deo Nukhu, MLA and Shri. VikhehoSwu, MLA on February 21 morning in Kohima.
The organisations while expressing their strongest condemnation on such ‘coward and inhuman act’, damaging three vehicles including one government registered Bolero jeep belonging to Eyekowe, official personal Secretary to Yitachu, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education, said such act on the parked vehicles ultimately tantamount to attempted murder.
The organisations then said such drastic and unwarranted act has no place in the Naga society today. “Such act would not solve any problem but call to mind fear psychosis and social unrest in the society,” they termed. The Pochury bodies then appealed the competent authority to book the culprits immediately and award befitting punishment as per the provisions laid in the book of law.
Vehemently condemning is too small a phrase to describe the bomb blast at the private residence of Deo Nukhu in Kohima in the early hours of February’ 21, said Noke led NPF. “This selective and serial bomb blasts occurring with deadly coincidences are quite perplexing and we have run out of words to profile the ill-motive actions of the pawn in political chess board of Nagaland,” it expressed. “Can any anti-social element dare to execute their sinister design in broad daylight? Can any sane person master enough guts to attack his enemy in the most secure area of his domain?,” the Noke led NPF asked.
It then strongly urged upon the law enforcing agencies to arrest the culprits at the earliest and “should not leave any stone unturned while taking out the bedrock of this political conspiracy.”
The Old Ministers’ Hill Panchayat (OMHP) and the Old Ministers’ Hill Youth Organisation (OMHYO) Kohima strongly condemned the act of unidentified person (s) who hurled explosive material below V.I.P. Guest House, Old Ministers’ Hill Colony on Saturday at around 6 a.m. that caused damage to three vehicles as well as neighbouring residential buildings.
While condemning ‘mindless’ acts that are a bane upon the peace and personal safety of the citizens, the organizations called upon the administration and the law enforcement agencies to nab the culprits responsible and bring them to light at the earliest.
