NDPP hits back at opposition leader, NPF president

Lauds state government for approving the Nagaland Staff Selection Board

Dimapur, Aug. 1 (EMN): The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has censured the claims made by leader of opposition TR Zeliang and president of Naga People’s Front (NPF) Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu that the state government is trying to blame the Raj Bhavan on the issue of the order directing state employees to declare ties, if any, with members of various Naga political groups.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the party pointed out that the governor had written to the chief secretary on two occasions, compelling the state government to issue the office memorandum (OM).

“It does not need to be pointed out that governor is also the interlocutor in the Indo-Naga political peace dialogue. In the light of various organisations coming out in condemnation of the government OM, the state government, feeling the need that the people need to understand as to why and how this decision came about have had to come out with the necessary statements explaining the same. It is also important to point out the state government is not a party to the political dialogue.

“The NPF president and the leader of opposition should first look within and self-introspect on the manner in which they conducted the administration of the government during their joint and respective regimes. The state of affairs were in a chaos, assembly sessions lasted few minutes and the former chief minister even failed to turn up in the floor of the assembly, setting shameful precedents in the history of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and upon the politics of the state. Instability, lack of development, constant camping of elected members instead of governance were the hallmarks of their regimes,” read the statement.

The party also expressed surprise that the NPF president, who had belonged to a political party for almost five decades, has taken to personally attacking the NDPP media and communication committee and its members.

It stated that as a seasoned party man, the veteran politician must be well aware that any political party has its own media wing, whose duty is to voice out the thoughts, views and opinions of the party women and men just as how the NPF press and media bureau functions.

However, it stated, the NPF president has stooped so low as to make personal and veiled attacks on the members of the NDPP publicity cell, ‘which is unbecoming of a person of his stature’.

“...just as the NDPP respects the views and opinions of our opposition, whether we agree or not to, it is also expected that the opposition and its members behave in a manner behoving a matured political party by according the same respect to the NDPP,” it stated.

The party also expressed gratitude and appreciation to the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government led by the chief minister and his Cabinet colleagues for understanding the urgent needs of the youth of Nagaland and realising their long-aspiring dreams by approving the setting up of the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) for recruitment to Group-C posts.

“This action of the incumbent government speaks volumes of the commitment towards ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance. This roadmap was a major commitment of the NDPP manifesto committed to bring transparency that would be powered by meritocracy. With this decision, the NDPP is confident that the many aspiring youth in the state will get an opportunity towards gaining employment in the government in a fair and equitable manner. The PDA government has once again proven that its promise of fulfilling the dreams of the people is action oriented and not just rhetoric,” it stated.