EMN
Dimapur, June 17
Responding to State BJP’s scathing remark on Congress MLAs, a statement issued jointly by Tokheho Yepthomi and S.I. Jamir today said, mocking or questioning the Congress legislators for joining the State government by BJP leaders will not have any desired effect as the public are weary of decades old political problem that has hindered the growth and development and are yearning for peaceful settlement.
Yepthomi and Jamir said, the Congress legislators have taken a ‘leap of faith’ to join an all party government to pressurize negotiating groups for an early political settlement. “The BJP seems to be cornered on this issue since they are unable to wriggle out of this unique arrangement of an all party government.”
They said, on Naga political solution, the BJP is counting its chicken before it hatches.
“The BJP led NDA has been in power earlier from 1998-2004 and after coming back to power in 2014, their rhetoric speeches have generated high expectations.
However, it may be too premature for the state BJP to celebrate at this juncture and blame the previous congress governments without achieving any signs of breakthrough in bringing the political negotiations to its logical conclusion. If Naga political issue has to be resolved with an agreement then the Government of the day has a privilege to do so but if it is a settlement then all major political parties have to be taken into confidence for honorable solution.”
With an arrangement of an all-party government in the State under stewardship of TR Zeliang as Chief Minister, the statement said, continuous barking of BJP against Congress legislators’ joining the government is devoid of any substance but an attempt to weaken the Naga political issue.
Despite claims of BJP that it was a pre-poll alliance of NPF since 2003, the statement pointed out that BJP was kicked out from DAN-II in 2009 when both its legislators joined the NPF and DAN extended its unconditional support to Congress led UPA –II. BJP questioning the Congress on not joining DAN –I or II is immaterial and illogical, the statement said.
The senior leaders advised the BJP to seek clarification from Chief Minister TR Zeliang, Dr. Shurhozelie, NPF President and DAN Chairman and KG Kenye, Secretary General NPF if BJP wants to know as to why Congress legislators joined the government.
“Congress legislators never gate crashed into the government whereas BJP has entered the government through backdoor after openly declaring their support to the dissident NPF group and having enjoyed their full hospitality in Sovima camp since January when political crisis started. As rightly brought out by the BJP, Congress legislators participating in the government is at the pleasure of the Chief Minister and Dr. Shurhozelie, NPF President and therefore it is none of their business to remind and question the actions of Chief Minister for inducting congress legislators.”
Talking about principles and personal integrity, Congress legislators have never joined any party unlike the BJP which has been flocking from one party to other since 2003, the statement said.
“The State BJP president cannot refute that he himself made an open offer to congress legislators for merger and to take over the reins of power as BJP led government but was firmly rejected on matters of principles and belief.”
