Oust Therie campaign gets murkier

EMN DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 20 The old ghost of leadership tussle has come to haunt the state Congress again, even as four senior members of the AICC on Tuesday reiterated that they would continue to demand the removal of the incumbent NPCC president, K Therie from his position “till the last.” The agitating members – KV Pusa, Joshua Sumi, Asu Keyho and Tarie Zeliang – in a joint statement on Tuesday said “the press statement allegedly signed by all 11 DCCs on the October 16 incident in Congress Bhavan” was fabricated. “How possibly could a small number of unauthorized PCC office bearers stationed at Kohima stealthily sit inside closed door room after the protesting members dispersed and within short hour time obtained readymade signature of all 11 DCC Presidents for the joint press statement? “On ascertaining the fact from the concerned district president(s) it is proven that many of them were uninformed and also most of them had registered their strong objection(s) to the PCC officials for appending their names in the fabricated press statement.” It warned that “another day”, they will be forced to expose and challenge the authority of those few members for abusing the office of the DCC for cheap publicity. “When the 8 Congress MLAs were suspended from the party, 8 out of 11 DCC appealed the AICC to review the order, when disqualification petition was filed against the MLAs by K. Therie, Adhoc president, 44 out of 60 ACCC appealed to withdraw the petition to the extent of pressing that the ACCC would resort to non-cooperation from 4th October onward. “So where does the question of 11 DCC condemning the members’ protest on October 16 comes in but for few desperate PCC office bearers in office that day who decided to take the stupid risk of dragging in the uninvolved DCC to salvage the tarnish image of pro BJP, anti solution Adhoc president.” It also stated that “political prostitutes or chameleons” calling the agitating Congress members as paid thugs and drunkards was highly provocative and potentially reactionary. “Those who allege must also prove with evidence or they will be accountable for calling protestors thugs and drunkards. “We can prove with facts and details anytime that some people are actually political prostitutes or chameleons,” it warned. The senior state Congress members also stated that some of those sitting in the Congress Bhavan should mind their language while reminding them of their “decent action(?)” in burning down the Bhavan during PCC presidential election in 2010. “Should any protest of members representing different districts staged outside or inside the Bhavan then be attributed to Kohima district alone? 6 out of 7 ACCC have every reason to protest against the arbitrary action of Adhoc President and yet they have the full support of the other members from all over the State. Rather than “calling names, beating around the bush and giving contrary directives to the stand already taken by the DCC and ACCC”, they stated that the PCC officials should clarify on (a) direction given by the General Secretary AICC i/c of Nagaland on 4th February to support Rio (b) K Therie, inviting senior Congress leaders to join BJP in March 2015 (c) K Therie, misusing his office against ENPO issue and (d) K Therie, misleading the Congress against political solution. “While reiterating our unwavering commitment to stand along with the DCC and ACCC in upholding the sanctity and integrity of Congress Party, our demand for removal of the controversial PCC President will continue till the last. “In the process of this democratic agitation we appeal the DCC and ACCC not to compromise the collective interest of the party for some individual position in the party. We need everyone on board but during the course, if somewhere we have inadvertently overlooked any part, we tender our sincere apology.”   NPCC rubbishes allegation against Therie   Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee has termed allegations against PCC President K Therie as baseless that has become an obsession for some few disgruntled leaders. A statement issued by Media Cell, NPCC reminded that Therie was appointed as the new NPCC president by AICC on May 5 to arrest the decline of the party that was on the verge of losing its ideological moorings to sail in the same boat with the BJP in the all party government. “The present tussle is therefore more of a fight over ideological differences and not on individual lines, as some section of disgruntled lot wants to portray. It is hilarious to note that some leaders who were ready to compromise with communal forces are desperate to oust the leader who has staunchly defended the secular ideology and principles of the INC.” After taking over the reins of the party, the new president was specifically instructed by AICC to fill the vacuum created by defection by identifying potential leaders and reorganize the party to be prepared for 2018 assembly elections, the statement said. “In that spirit, the executive committee of NPCC has reaffirmed to revamp and reorganize party at all levels. NPCC has been going slow, thinking better sense will prevail.” The NPCC said the mind-set of the suspended and disgruntled leaders have brought down Congress from 59 seats in 1998 down to 21 in 2003, 23 in 2008 and paltry 8 in 2013. “They shamelessly refused to own moral responsibility for the election debacle and resign on their own. They are responsible for herding 8 MLAs to NPF led -DAN government against the direction of AICC and are therefore responsible for the present disqualification petition and attracting disciplinary action.” More on page 5 “Congress belongs to the people. Handful opportunists with hired thugs cannot cow down NPCC to submit its ideologies and principles. Opportunists have no philosophy, no religion, no moral and they can forgo family, friends, village and nation. They will be shown the door. 7 plus 5 of them have been served with show cause notice as to why disciplinary action should not be taken for their anti-party activities and misconducts.” Stating that it has taken cognizance of the repeated allegations made by H Chuba Chang against K Therie on the offer to join BJP before the later became PCC president, the NPCC reminded Chuba to either substantiate his allegations or publicly apologize within 15 days from the date of the publication failing which due legal process will be initiated for defaming the office of the PCC president. The statement also informed that the chief organiser of the All India Congress Seva Dal, Mahendra Joshi has appointed N Neilo Koza as the new chief organiser of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Seva Dal on October 19.