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TR Zeliang addressing a rally at Zunheboto on Wednesday May 24[/caption]
Kohima, May 23 (EMN): Addressing a public rally on Wednesday at Zunheboto town, the leader of the Naga People's Front (NPF) legislature party, TR Zeliang, attacked the PDA government with a word for the electorate in the district: be wary of “the evil designs of (Chief Minister Neiphiu) Rio lest more capable leaders are sacrificed at the altar of Rio’s political game for power and wealth.”
According to a press statement issued by the 'information and publicity wing of the leader of opposition,' the former chief minister recalled the issue of Students Insurance Scheme which he had raised during the first session of the 13th legislative assembly. Zeliang questioned whether the scheme was ‘a Centrally Sponsored Scheme or a state-funded scheme.’
Zeliang wondered whether said scheme had ‘any linkage with third party companies’ and whether it was ‘free for all’ or a certain premium was to be paid by beneficiaries. He alleged that Rio “attempted to sow seeds of division and instability within the NPF party” in the past which gave rise to 'crisis and hardships' for the people.
According to the statement the NPF leader urged the community to be vigilant against “the evil designs of Rio lest more capable Sumi leaders are sacrificed at the alter of Rio’s political game for power and wealth (sic).”
Also, Zeliang highlighted 'sanctions' approved for Zunheboto by the previous NPF regime 'which were “diverted by PDA government recently.”'
'INR 2.75 crore which was sanctioned for the development of Zunheboto town has now been diverted leaving zero penny for the town,’ Zeliang was quoted as having alleged.
On the State’s financial crisis, Zeliang supposedly said, “After the one time grant by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government which brought the state deficit to zero, the 11 years tenure of Rio as the CM of Nagaland abnormally brought the deficit of the state to Rs. 1234 crore at the time of his departure for Delhi.”
Also, the NPF's spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon, questioned the performance of the government and cited the incidents of ‘two life attempts’ made on business people in Dimapur a few weeks after Rio took over as chief minister, the closure of petrol pumps in Nagaland in protest against the kidnapping of a driver and handyman, and the boycott of the by-election by college students.
“Ridiculing National Secretary General of BJP and in-charge of NE region, Ram Madhav and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for the present mess in the state, Kikon said that ‘Ram Madhav has been appointed as teacher of BJP & RSS while he has engaged Rio as proxy local teacher to confuse the Christian population in Nagaland,’” the release stated.
Citing the difference between NPF-BJP alliance and NDPP-BJP alliance, Kikon said that the NPF was never controlled by the BJP 'whereas PDA government is today controlled by BJP while NDPP is playing second-fiddle to a de-facto BJP government.'
Also, the updates informed that the NPF's candidate, C Apok Jamir, has said that the forthcoming election was not a contest between two tribes but between two different ideologies 'which is issue-based.'
Calling upon the Nagas to vote for NPF to protect the interest, identity and religion of the Nagas, Jamir was stated to have claimed that the opposition party was ‘the true voice of the Naga People.’
