Dimapur, Aug. 5 (EMN): A war of words has erupted between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) over the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) which was recently approved by the PDA government.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the NDPP took a dig at NPF over its claim that the NSSB was put into motion by the DAN-III government under TR Zeliang, by terming it as “absurd since the then government paid only lip service and did nothing to bring it to fruition”.
NDPP takes a dig at NPF over NSSB claim“They (DAN-III government) failed to do it and yet they want to take credit for it! As we have stated in the past, the NDPP stands for transparency and meritocracy and the government’s decision to institute the SSB is towards our commitment of realising these aspirations,” the statement read. It also said the setting up of the NSSB is a fulfilment of the long-desired dreams and aspirations of the people, especially the youth of the state.
The NDPP has accused the opposition party of resorting to falsely attacking the PDA leaders because of their inability to accept their failures. “Such is the malice and contempt that breeds within the NPF that they have forgotten how to play the role of a constructive and responsible opposition. It would perhaps be prudent if the principal opposition party goes back to the drawing table to reflect and redraw their priorities as a political party before it is too late for them,” it stated.
The party went on to state that resorting to petty paper wars, dragging in the ruling dispensation on non-issues and asking the present government to step down on their whims and fancies only proves that the oldest regional party has lost direction and the political fortitude it once had in years gone by. It also accused the NPF of engineering an “opposition-less ministry” through “shameless machination of blatant and illegal defections just to ensure continuity of the party's unholy loot of the State's coffers” and concluding Assembly sessions in a matter of few minutes.
“The repeated demand of the NPF for the PDA Government to step down in recent times is reminiscent of a defective record player repeating a phrase nauseatingly, and is bereft of logic and legality. Constitutionally-installed governments the world over does not function or cease to function at the whims and fancies of a few who dearly wish to take over the helms of affairs of the state so that they can perpetuate their looting and plundering spree once again,” the statement read.
The NPF should first look at their past before deciding to point their fingers at others, said the NDPP, reminding how the party ‘took it upon themselves to overthrow their own DAN-III government and Chief Minister on their whims and fancy, twice’.
“Be it the chaos in running the affairs of the State under two chief ministers in the previous house, the people’s uprising in the ULB elections fiasco, the few minutes assembly sessions, the lack of any semblance of development, the perpetual instability, etc., the NPF should realise that these are all its failure and it cannot blame others for its in-capabilities,” said the statement.