NPCC through its media cell slammed state BJP president Dr. M. Chuba’s statement, wherein he credited BJP for confusing Congress into voting for the DAN government on February 5 and thus, “thrown itself inside NDA’s fence”.
NPCC said the statement of a Congress-free NLA by an “RSS apologist” like Dr. Chuba was only “wishful thinking”. It said that Dr. Chuba was someone who was yet to understand the nuances of electoral politics as he has not contested a single election. NPCC said his statement was “simply a case of random barking” to remain relevant in state politics and attract attention of his “communal masters in Delhi.”
NPCC said there is an NPF-led government in Nagaland and not a BJP-led government as mistakenly believed. It said there was only one BJP legislator in the assembly, as the case of “three defectors joining BJP from NCP” was yet to be settled by the Supreme Court.
NPCC said the Congress rescued the T.R. Zeliang government at the request and appeal made by chief minister T.R. Zeliang, NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie and secretary general K.G. Kenye in order “ to provide stability and deny foothold to communal forces”. NPCC said the three NPF leaders “are living witness and will bear testimony” on needing support of Congress to stay afloat.
On the other hand, it said “dissident campers with all out support from BJP” tried every “trick in the book to dislodge T.R. Zeliang as chief minister”.
NPCC said unlike the BJP leaders who flipped flopped countless times with unrestrained contradictory statements that only compounded the NPF crisis; Congress maintained a disciplined approach by stepping in to save the state from heading towards constitutional crisis due to the prolonged political uncertainty.
NPCC reminded, that prior to the February 5 vote, 27 legislators were with Noke-Kaito group (NPF-22,BJP-4,Ind.-1); while only 25 were supporting chief minister T.R. Zeliang (NPF-16,Ind-7,NCP-1, JDU-1).
When all eight Congress legislators backed T.R. Zeliang, the tally rose to 33 said NPCC. It said this move cornered the BJP and left it with no option but to vote for T.R. Zeliang government. NPCC said as a face saving measure, BJP has now hailed its move as a strategy after its strategy to dislodge T.R. Zeliang “badly misfired.”
NPCC claimed, that between January to the first week of February, Dr. Chuba approached Congress leaders to join BJP and lead a coalition government with “ the dissident NPF group”.
However, it said Congress turned it down as it could not compromise on its principles and rights of Nagas and added that Dr. Chuba’s “frustration with Congress” was understandable.
NPCC denied it had rooted for a party-less government but was only waiting for the chief minister and NPF president to “honour their commitment when they sought our crucial support”.
NPCC said Dr. Chuba had exceed his brief when he asked Congress to join the government as a non-Congress entity and advised him to speak within his limits.
It said that other than spreading RSS ideology in the state, Dr. Chuba should answer as to what had been his contribution to the state.
Responding to Dr. Chuba on what the UPA had done to solve the Naga political issue from 2004-2014; NPCC asked what had the BJP-led NDA done while in power from 1998-2004,other than “merely talk about recognising the uniqueness of Naga history, to humour some main stakeholders”.
On BJP’s talk of bringing solution to the Naga political issue within 18 months, NPCC said BJP should realise that any solution has to be realised through a constitutional amendment and BJP alone cannot have its way, if it continued to live in a fool’s paradise by ignoring opposition parties.
NPCC reasserted that solution without constitutional amendment would only be a piecemeal solution and having no logical conclusion.
Reacting to BJP’s mission of a Congress-free India, NPCC said it was nothing but a mission of imposing an “authoritarian regime without opposition parties”. It said state BJP chief Chuba was only “parroting the concept” to impose the “hegemony of BJP-RSS agenda” to dictate on what not to eat (beef) and what to believe and subscribe on matters of faith.
NPCC said Congress has placed the interest of the people above everything, to defeat the onslaught of communal forces currently at “our doors, patronised by few visionless leaders, without political moorings, like Dr Chuba” who are ready to disown their own upbringing and beliefs in the quest for sharing the spoils of power.