The Leader of the Opposition, TR Zeliang, on Sunday highlighted various initiatives taken during the previous NPF-led regime in facilitating the Indo-Naga peace process.
“For the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), the top agenda is to resolve Naga political problem,” Zeliang stated while addressing a huge gathering at Tuensang town hall on Sunday.
Zeliang lambasted Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for “misleading the people on the Naga issue”, saying “any leader can speak for Naga solution to get votes but the Naga people will judge from action.”
The former CM emphasised the need for the general public to vote for a candidate whose party’s priority was based on settlement of the protracted Naga political issue.
While maintaining that “NDPP-BJP Alliance has ocean difference from NPF-BJP,” Zeliang reminded the gathering that “NPF-led DAN Government managed to convince BJP MLAs in passing resolution in the State Assembly on December 15, 2017 for election only after solution to Naga political problem was arrived at.”
On this note, he questioned the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) as to why “it did not try to convince its seat-sharing partner BJP to withdraw the drastic action taken against two BJP signatories Kheto Sema and Tsasepi Sangtam who had committed with the voice of Naga people on January 29, 2018 at Hotel Japfu, Kohima.”
Stating that the silence of the NDPP over the action taken on the two leaders was “a clear indication that Rio and his party was supporting election and not solution,” the leader of the NPF Legislature Party called upon the Nagas to “identify those leaders who are playing with the Nagas with tricky speeches and public dialogue while they have different plans inside to sabotage the peace dialogue.”
“Naga people should cross-check who is talking for the sake of talking and who is talking based on action on the ground,” Zeliang said.
Also speaking at the election rally, NPF candidate for the Lok Sabha by-election C Apok Jamir assured the Nagas that “the protracted Naga political issue will be taken up on priority for a final settlement at the earliest”.
The NPF campaign team led by the former CM is scheduled to touch Phek and Kiphire districts on Monday.