Neiphiu Rio
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio (File image) :Northeast Now

The Nagaland unit of the Janata Dal (United) has expressed concern over ‘ceaseless attack’ on Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio with regard to his stand on the issue of Naga integration.

Stating that the clarifications issued on June 14 and June 15, 2018 have categorically made it clear so far as the confusion over his statement is concerned, the JD (U) said the Chief Minister conveyed the actual statement of the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the stand of the Government of India on the issue of Naga area integration, which was told to the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) delegation in New Delhi on June 12, 2018.

The party said there could be no cloud of doubt over the person of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio so far as his stand on integration is concerned. It further appealed to one and all to put the issue at rest and join hands with one another for an early solution of the long-pending Naga problem.

Also read: Nagaland: Rio clarification on integration of contiguous Naga areas

It may be mentioned that Nagaland Chief Minister Rio, made a clarification on July 4, 2018 over his statement on the integration of contiguous Naga areas. He had reportedly told a TV channel on June 12 last in New Delhi after meeting the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, that “geographical integration of contiguous Naga areas is not feasible at this juncture”.

Rio said in the statement on July 4 in Dimapur that he conveyed to the media whatever was told to him by the Centre on the issue of integration.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]