[caption id="attachment_164942" align="alignnone" width="550"]
Neiphiu Rio and Chingwang Konyak at Ahthibung on Feb. 15.[/caption]
“We have not aligned with the BJP to convert but to protect our rights as enshrined in Article 371 (A)”
Dimapur, Feb. 15 (EMN): The chief ministerial candidate of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) Neiphiu Rio on Thur. unleashed criticism upon Chief Minister TR Zeliang and his government’s apparent lack of vision and governance to the detriment of Nagaland in the past four years, according to a press release from the party.
Addressing mammoth gatherings in Peren district including at Tening, Peren, Athibung and Jalukie, Rio exuded confidence that the NDPP-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance would come to power by absolute majority. He said that the BJP favoured the NDPP as it had lost confidence in the leadership of TR Zeliang although the BJP had been in alliance with the Naga People's Ffront (NPF) for the past 15 years. Zeliang's tumultuous tenures in office were riddled by massive corruption, instability, mismanagement, and propaganda which severely damaged the prospects of the NPF.
“Leadership should be visionary, strong and should keep its commitment with the people. His (Zeliang’s) leadership is without vision, and he leads from behind instead of from the front,” Rio said.
The Loka Sabha member recalled his resigning as Home minister in 2002, and reviving the regional party in the form of the NPF, and contesting the general assembly elections in 2003 under the regional banner. Rio revealed that although Zeliang was repeatedly invited to join the NPF back then, the latter 'could not muster the courage to join hands' with the NPF.
Rio went on to say that Zeliang joined the NPF only when the NPF-led DAN government decided to fulfil a long-cherished demand—upgrading Peren sub-division to a full-fledged district. He was accommodated as a cabinet minister, and later sent to the Parliament as Rajya Sabha member. However, Zeliang wanted to return to state politics, and was again accommodated as a cabinet minister.
Coming down heavily on Zeliang’s 'poor leadership qualities,' Rio said that after his leaving for Delhi as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Zeliang’s leadership brought immense embarrassment to the Naga people 'which is known to everyone.'
According to Rio, Zeliang’s biggest lie to the people was his educational qualification. “Even if he does not feel embarrassed, I am sure that the people of this district are ashamed of his lies and deceit. If you abet his lies, then it is also tantamount to you all telling lies. Even in his profile in various editions of the Who is Who published by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly after every general election, the chief minister has been giving contradicting claims as to the year of his graduation such as 1979 and 1980.
“This time, he is unable to provide his BA certificate and is also embarrassed to say he failed and so he stated in his affidavit ‘BA appeared’ but there is no such certificate for ‘BA appeared.’ He is still unrelenting and refuses to accept his mistakes. Rather, he is trying to use money power to influence his election. If you allow his political designs to manifest itself here, you will only land in the opposition,” Rio stated.
Drawing attention to the ‘propaganda against the NDPP-BJP alliance,’ Rio recalled that the 'fear' came when Zeliang was the chief minister.
“The BJP has been in an alliance with the NPF since 2003. It has now been 15 years. We are not going to join the BJP. But we have to maintain a good rapport with the central government so that we can expedite the peace process and carry forward the development agenda of the central government for the benefit of our people and by empowering our youths and people living in rural areas,” Rio said in assurance.
On the issue of seat-sharing between the NDPP and the BJP, Rio said that the central BJP leaders were aware that the Naga people have an ongoing political issue for which the BJP accords special respect to it. He conveyed the views of the central BJP leadership about Nagaland being a Christian-dominated state and the importance of respecting the faith of the Nagas.
This made the BJP settle for only 20 seats while agreeing to let the NDPP contest in 40 seats, he said. “We have not aligned with the BJP to convert but to protect our rights as enshrined in Article 371 (A) and therefore, our relationship with the central government is very important. Article 25-28 under the Constitution of India guarantees secularism and the freedom of religion to all its citizens and therefore, no one needs to fear since it is our constitutional right to profess the faith of our choice. We are Christians and there is no compromise on that,” Rio asserted.
Neiphiu Rio ridiculed the NPF’s flip-flops and divergent views regarding the BJP. He questioned the 'differing views' of the NPF president and the chief minister regarding the NPF party’s alliance with the BJP. Dismissing the chief minister’s claims that the NPF’s doors were open, Rio opined that it was highly unlikely that the BJP would enter the doors of a party that was 'indecisive and divergent in its views' about the alliance.
Reacting to the chief minister’s claims of developing Tening within two years if the NPF candidate were elected, Rio said that although Zeliang was elected four times from Tening, he did not develop the constituency. Instead, he 'ran away' and contested from Peren. “He could not do anything in the 20 years he represented you, and now he claims to develop Tening within two years,” Rio said in ridicule.
In Jalukie, Rio appealed to the people to elect NDPP candidate Iherie Ndang and assured to induct him into the cabinet if elected after the NDPP-BJP storms to power. “It is up to you to choose which side you want to be on. I hope that you will heed my words and support our party candidate because choosing otherwise is only going to land you in the opposition,” Rio said.
Those who spoke at the rallies included Namri Nchang (6th Tening AC), Iherie Ndang (7th Peren AC), Neiba Ndang, former minister and advisor, NDPP; Vatsu Meru, former minister and senior member, NDPP. Chingwang Konyak, the president of the NDPP, was also present at the rallies.
