While ridiculing the opposition NPF, whom it accused of “jumping the gun” at every perceived opportunity without basis but merely for publicity, ruling NDPP has responded to NPF attacks over Citizenship(Amendment)Bill 2016; controversy created by media regarding Rio’s statement on Naga integration issue ; negative campaigns and controversy over T.R.Zeliang’s B.A.degree.
NDPP media & communications committee in a statement, clarified that the cabinet at the June 5 meeting discussed several issues such as the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill 2016. It said cabinet maintained that as Nagaland is fully protected under Article 371(A) of the constitution and as Inner Line Permit(ILP) is fully operational, the state will oppose the Bill, without hesitation, if went against the interests of Nagas. Further, NDPP said until such an instance takes place, the cabinet decided not to interfere in the policies of the Centre as widely published in the media on June 7.
On recent controversy raised in the media over chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s statement on integration issue, NDPP said a clarification was issued and published in all local dailies on June 15. It maintained that the stand of the chief minister and PDA delegation remained the same, that right of Nagas to live together under one administrative umbrella, will never be given up.
At the same time, NDPP however reiterated that Nagas need to also live in peaceful coexistence with its neighbours. It also reminded that the last resolution on integration was adopted under the leadership of present chief minister on December 18,2003. NDPP asked whether the NPF president and opposition leader who served as chief ministers of NPF-led DAN governments, had ever passed a similar resolution?
NDPP said the PDA government remained committed to resolution of the “Indo-Naga” political conflict as a facilitator and would leave no stone unturned for an honourable and inclusive solution. The PDA will also never compromise with the rights and honour of Nagas and was ready to make any sacrifice for the people who elected the government.
NDPP reopened a past controversy, when it accused NPF of having “forfeited all moral authority to even speak” of the controversial booklet “Bedrock of Naga Society” as they have fully endorsed it by teaming up with the authors-Dr.S.C.Jamir, his brother S.I.Jamir. It said even Dr.Jamir’s son Apok Jamir is a full fledged member of NPF and was a candidate for the Lok Sabha byelection as well as the assembly election. NDPP said on both elections, he lost the elections and should realise the defeats were rejection of the booklet by the Naga people.
NDPP said since NPF have endorsed the booklet it by their action of aligning with Congress, its “misleading statements” are self-contradictory for which they ought to be ashamed of. NDPP said it remained opposed to the booklet( Bedrock of Naga Society) as it was “a sell out of Nagas’ rights”. NDPP said “unless the authors apologise and reject the booklet”, it cannot be erased since it has already caused damage to the Naga cause.
NDPP also accused NPF of carrying out negative campaign during election campaign by violating the Model Code of Conduct when its president appealed for votes on religious and communal grounds and also declared that T.R.Zeliang was the party’s chief minister-in-waiting. This showed the poor quality of NPF ideology and intellectual inadequacy which was rejected by the people, said NDPP. It attacked NPF by saying that so long Zeliang remained its chief minister-in-waiting, the party will have no moral authority to speak on any issue after Zeliang lied to citizens of the state, repeatedly claiming to have graduated from Kohima Arts College under NEHU in his earlier affidavits but in 2018 declaring that he is “BA appeared”.
Taking these into account, NDPP said NPF was suffering from “advanced form of tunnel vision” by refusing to acknowledge its own mistakes while trying to smear the image of other parties and their leaders.
Therefore, said NDPP, people are best judge whether NPF has any moral authority left when it failed to practise what it preaches.
By resorting to desperate attempts to “sensationalise every matter by nit-picking” only showed that NPF,after being rejected by people and despite all attempts to manipulate, misinform, and communalise voters in both the recent elections, was fast losing its relevance and fading into obscurity.
“Nevertheless, nothing more can be expected from a rejected party headed by a failed degree holder as its Chief Ministerial candidate where an atmosphere of lies and deceit exists at the very top of the NPF party” added NDPP.