The press release is being issued to truthfully bring out the political developments and sequence of events in the State to expose the lies and misinformation being spread by the group under Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu.
1. Prior to the 2013 elections, Dr. Shurhozelie had declared that he would no longer participate in electoral politics and that he would pave way for the younger generation and that he would suggest a young aspirant who would be willing to work for the people with dedication and commitment. This was in accord with the policy of one man, one post as he was the party president and also a cabinet minister. However, as elections neared, he recommended the candidature of his son which took everyone by surprise.
2. In 2014, when the then CM, Mr. Neiphiu Rio had volunteered to sacrifice his chair and contest the Lok Sabha elections, a smooth transition of guard was the need of the hour. The CM and the President had several rounds of discussions towards this end and both mutually agreed with the undivided opinion that the senior most regionalist and cabinet minister Mr. Noke, who hailed from eastern region would be the right person to take over the leadership. During this period, as the CM was fully engaged with campaigning within the State and all over the region, the home front was left to Dr. Shurhozelie with full trust and confidence. At no point of time, in all the discussions, did Dr. Shurhozelie oppose the leadership of Mr. Noke. However, this trust was misused as he slyly hatched a plan of betrayal and carried out his formula to backstab along with the NPF Secretary General, Mr. KG Kenye. He not only misled Mr. Noke but also misguided the MLAs and carried out a so-called secret signature campaign without the knowledge or approval of the legitimate leader and chief minister, Mr Neiphiu Rio. He gave the impression that the signature campaign had the approval of the CM and coaxed the MLAs to sign in favour of his scheme. This was followed by the camping of MLAs in Kaziranga which had his full approval and endorsement. This is how the so called elderly leader misused the trust and confidence placed in him.
3. When Mr. Rio got elected to the Lok Sabha, Dr. Shurhozelie left no stone unturned to ensure that Mr. Rio was denied accommodation in the Union Government, by going to the extent of traveling to Delhi, meeting central leaders and opposing Mr. Rio's accommodation in the NDA ministry. He even went to the extent of writing to the Presiding Officers of Parliament. The leaders he met and the statements he made are all on record.
4. When three NCP MLAs of Nagaland merged with the BJP in 2014, it was Dr. Shurhozelie who used all his authority to ensure their disqualification which was later overturned by the Honorable court. But here too, he continued to challenge the decision of the judiciary and went to the extent of appealing in the Supreme Court.
5. It was this individual act of Dr Shurhozelie which provoked the Central BJP leaders and dealt a severe blow to the trust and confidence enjoyed within the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. Despite an overwhelming majority of MLAs uniting for change of leadership, Dr. Shurhozelie without any respect for majority and democracy, started suspending MLAs at his own whims and fancy. His autocratic and dictatorial style of functioning began to get further exposed. He refused to accept the majority and therefore the majority of NPF legislators, CEC Members of the NPF and an overwhelming majority of the party organisation unanimously elected Mr. Noke as the NPF President and rejected the leadership of Dr. Shurhozelie to ensure smooth governance and amicable inter-party relations within the Alliance. When the matter came to the Election Commission of India, the judgment directed the party for reconciliation. However, Dr. Shurhozelie, instead of carrying out reconciliation in letter and spirit, became more dictatorial as he punished the majority group and even suspended the Hon’ble MP Mr. Rio. Despite extension of the olive branch and letters calling for reconciliation from both Members of Parliament including late Mr. Khekiho, Dr. Shurhozelie turned a blind eye and carried on with his autocratic rule.
6. In the aftermath of the agitation against the conduct of the ULB elections, Dr. Shurhozelie and Mr. KG Kenye hatched another plan to install Dr. Shurhozelie as CM by replacing the incumbent. At that time, he promised that he was only a stop-gap arrangement and that the reins would be handed back “within two-three months.” But true to his habit, he went back on his word and made his son resign as MLA and opted to come back to electoral politics. All this while he continued as party president and so did Rajya Sabha MP Mr. KG Kenye as Secretary General in total disregard to the party policy that except for the Chief Minister, no member will hold dual posts. This was then followed by appointment of his son as Adviser to Chief Minister with Cabinet status despite both he and his son not being elected members at that point of time. This gesture took nepotism to a new low in Nagaland politics.
7. With the general public and the ministry unable to accept the dictatorial and autocratic chief ministership of Dr. Shurhozelie, it became compelling to change the leadership as people could not tolerate the levels of nepotism, corruption and self-centered governance. This resulted in an absolute majority of MLAs opposing his leadership and requesting him to step down. But he once again disregarded the majority and started passing suspension and expulsion orders against those who opposed him. He refused to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly by going to the extent of not turning up for the Session and instead tried in vain to use the courts to carry on in the chair. Democracy is centered on rule of the majority and the temple of democracy is the floor of the Assembly but obviously Dr. Shurhozelie does not subscribe to the tenets of democracy.
8. The people will recollect that as recent as June 28, 2017 Dr. Shurhozelie had clearly stated at Kohima that NPF and BJP were natural allies since 1977 and he even declared that the alliance would continue beyond 2018. After the NPF MLAs moved to replace him on July 8, 2017 his followers claimed that Dr. Shurhozelie had the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who supposedly did not want Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s ministry disturbed, but once BJP decided to support the majority, he suddenly severed ties with the BJP and broke the alliance. Although he frequently claimed that BJP and NPF were natural allies since 1977, he now sees the BJP as saffron and suddenly has ideological differences with them. These were not issues when he was in the chair ruling the state as CM or even from behind the scene.
9. Even if some like to feign ignorance, it is a well-known fact that it was Mr Rio who protected Dr. Shurhozelie’s retention in the Cabinet during the crucial downsizing of ministry in 2004 and stood behind him to ensure a smooth tenure as party president against all odds. On the other hand, it is an open secret that on different occasions, Dr Shurhozelie had campaigned against Mr Rio and instigated two senior legislators to dislodge Mr Rio from the Chief Minister’s chair, while assuring them of his unconditional support but in all instances, such attempts were foiled by the members themselves.
10. Now, with his position being questioned and his presidentship under dispute, he has no option but to revert back to his old tricks of lies and misinformation. The people can no longer be fooled by falsehoods and propaganda and though Dr. Shurhozelie has seen his best days, he should no longer try to manipulate the forces of truth and justice anymore. It is in his best interest that he steps aside before he completely destroys the party along with his ring of advisers, all of whom are in the same predicament as he is in.
