Shürhozelie refutes allegations

EMN DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 9 DAN Chairman Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu, who is also President of NPF, today said that the right DAN consensus candidate would be selected to represent the Nagas in the Lok Sabha the polls for which are slated for May this year. In this connection, “we will do everything possible at our disposal.” Accordingly, he has expressed intention to approach and request “my Congress friends” also to support the lone candidate who represents the Nagas as whole. Dr Shurhozelie disclosed that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and a few others have expressed their desire to contest in the forthcoming LS elections but “We are yet to decide to whom the party ticket will go.” A meeting of the Working Committee has been convened for February 19 to discuss the issue and decision may likely be taken that day. He made this clarification in a rejoinder to a news item which appeared in a local daily (not Eastern Mirror) on February 7 under the headline “DAN pushes for Naga reconciliation, meets GPRN/NSCN”. The news item had said that the PACC (Political Affairs Coordination Committee) led by its convenor Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu and BJP President Dr M. Chuba Ao met the nine-member team of NSCN/GPRN. Dr Shurhozelie clarified that the DAN Coordination Committee meets occasionally for “our programme but we always move together.” He added the report left out JD(U) President.“I never take up any issue with one partner alone leaving aside the other”, he added. He refuted the report that he was “reportedly quite unhappy with the dictatorial style of functioning by the Chief Minister.” Expressing his annoyance with the news item he said “I do not understand what the reporter will gain by making such wild interpretation. This is madness.” He has concluded that the news item was made with “calculated mischief.” Dr Shurhozelie further said he can only assure that there will be no misunderstanding between Neiphiu Rio and him “just because someone tries to create confusion.”