Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) media cell in a rejoinder, has hit out at Manipur deputy chief minister, Gaikhangam’s comment calling chief minister, T.R. Zeliang “a liar”. CMO in a press note termed it as “highly objectionable and defamatory”.
CMO said, in a news item published in the print media, Gaikhangam had accused Zeliang of lying that “other North Eastern states were consulted by the Centre over the Naga peace accord”.
It was a fact, CMO said justifying Zeliang’s remark that the Interlocutor for Naga talks R.N. Ravi had consulted Manipur chief minister, Ibobi several times on matters of the Naga political settlement.
CMO said Gaikhangam should have first asked Ibobi, whether he was consulted by Ravi on the issue, before making his accusation on Nagaland chief minister. It also reminded Gaikhangam that even the previous interlocutor, RS Pandey consulted Manipur chief minister on several occasions.
The chief minister stands by his statement that the chief ministers of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal including himself was consulted by Ravi on finding a solution to the Naga issue, it added.
However, CMO media cell clarified that Zeliang had not said that the CMs were consulted on specific contents, or on the signing of the accord on August 3, 2015.
“But it must be stated here that the accord signed on August 3 was a result of the earlier consultations with the CMs of North Eastern States”, CMO asserted.
As a Naga leader himself, CMO said “Gaikhangam failed in his duty to stand for his people, when the Manipur government objected to extension of the ceasefire to all Naga areas”.
“His disrespect for his Naga roots and traditions is evident when he had reacted negatively to the Nagaland chief minister’s appeal for amicable settlement of land disputes between Mao Council and SAPO, as per the Naga customary practices”, it said.
CMO further said it was unfortunate that Gaikhangam seemed to have forgotten that he was a Naga by blood.
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