Cannot remain silent to political instability: Cong

EMN
Dimapur, January 14

The NPCC said it can never remain silent when the political instability created by selfishness and insatiable greed of NPF leaders threatens the interest of the people and issues of governance. In a release issued by its media cell today, the NPCC said the internal fight of the NPF has snowballed into a major confrontation with both groups claiming legitimacy of their own while prolonging political uncertainty and termed it as unfortunate and uncalled for.
The State Congress also reminded that it had on earlier occasions stated that the ongoing power struggle is purely an internal matter of the NPF and it refused to support any group.
It stated that the formation of DAN-III in March, 2013 when NPF alone won 38 seats under the combined leadership of Dr. Shurhozelie and Neiphiu Rio has failed to provide stability and the ongoing political crisis is fraught with consequences of President’s rule being imposed in the State. “Towards this end, both Shurhozelie and Neiphiu Rio are responsible for bringing the current situation of instability and uncertainty before the Nagas,” the NPCC alleged.
It observed that in the past, both the NPF leaders had never missed an occasion to proudly proclaim that the NPF government carries the popular mandate of the masses and will never run away from its responsibilities but will continue to respect and uphold the people’s voice in carrying out their constitutional duties. “Overriding their earlier stand, the present situation of power struggle unfolding before the people is laced with lack of respect for the people’s mandate that has created a situation of instability which has paralyzed all spheres of governance and polarized the people on different lines,” the State Congress stated.
Moreover, the Congress said, Neiphiu Rio, as chief minister, had always voiced out against the imposition of President’s rule terming it as unhealthy for democracy, tantamount to suppression of people’s mandate and disrespect for the voice of the masses. He had vowed to protect the desire and will of the people and refrain from taking steps that will bring a situation of President’s rule being imposed against the will of the people, it noted.
“After getting elected to Lok Sabha to try his hand in National politics, Rio seems to have taken a leap of faith to abandon his previous apprehensions of PR being imposed in the state,” the NPCC said.
“As of today, Rio seems to be forgetting his promise made in the State assembly- that of taking bigger responsibilities and different responsibilities with Nagaland as his constituency- when he left the chief ministerial chair to conveniently plot an escape to Delhi as Lok Sabha MP,” it said. Was the promise of taking up bigger and different responsibilities meant joining hands with communal BJP-RSS to destabilize his own party and the State, the Congress asked
The State Congress said creating instability to invite imposition of Presidents rule in the State at this juncture is against the will of the people who have given them (NPF) a massive mandate to provide stable government for the full term. Leaders of both NPF groups camping in different locations should realize this reality before their personal greed and ambition brings their downfall when the moment of reckoning arrives sooner or later, it stressed.
The Congress further cautioned that all 51 MLAs under DAN-III will be held solely responsible and answerable to the people of Nagaland ultimately for failing to even put up a semblance of stability to last its full tenure.