Dimapur, April 3 (EMN): The president of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has said that the opposition party ‘tied knot’ with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls “as one-time affair” against the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (NDPP-BJP) candidate.
The media cell of the NPF issued on Wednesday updates about an event during which Liezietsu gave the statement.
Speaking during a meeting of the NPF’s Kohima division on Wednesday, Liezietsu claimed that the NPF ‘represents the identity of the Naga people’ and that it ‘tied knot’ with the Congress’ candidate KL Chishi for the Lok Sabha polls “as one-time affair so that together with the secular forces (it) will defeat the NDPP-led BJP consensus candidate.”
“In order to defeat the BJP alliance NDPP candidate, the NPF party has decided to support the Congress candidature based on issue,” Liezietsu said. The NPF took the ‘bold stand strongly and fight against the forces which is trying to penetrate into our land and destroy our people,’ he said.
“Many Nagas particularly the Naga regionalists may question as to how to vote for the Congress,” the president said, and explained that “due to the issue that is eminently danger posing before the Naga people and the Northeast region in the like of the BJP’s Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).’ It is for such issues that the NPF joined hands with the Congress to ‘defend our future generation,’ he claimed.
Liezietsu appreciated the NPF’s Rajya Sabha member KG Kenye for “going against the CAB tooth and nail,” but lambasted the NDPP’s Lok Sabha member Tokheho Yepthomi “for going in favour of the CAB.”.
‘If the CAB is introduced as an Act, no one can escape from the reality of being crushed over by several lakhs of outside forces against the indigenous local people within no time and we will become the minority in our own land,’ he cautioned. In the words of the NPF’s statement: ‘We may not give a serious thought about the consequences of the CAB but once it is applicable, then the CAB will not differentiate us by colours, parties or status but it will come as a thunder and lightning and destroy all of us together.’
Also speaking during the occasion was member of legislative assembly Keneizhakho Nakhro. He said that the NPF working with the Congress ‘may be a blessing in disguise to let the secular forces come together and fight for the future of the Naga people.’ The priority of the Naga people should be voting for the secular parties and ‘defend the future of the Naga people,’ he said.
The MLA cautioned that ‘at present many fake leaders were leading the Naga people,’ for which ‘it is high time that the Naga people should realize before it is too late and strive together and stay united with the true leaders.’
