NPF ups anti-Acharya ante on day-II of agitation

Our Correspondent
Kohima, August 12 (EMN): Governor PB Acharya today, upon arrival at Kohima from Delhi, was greeted with about 200 NPF youth holding up banners demanding for his removal, right outside his official residence- the Raj Bhavan.
The NPF central youth wing yesterday launched a four-day sit-in protest against the manner in which Governor Acharya had dismissed NPF president and former chief minister Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu’s ministry and installed TR Zeliang’s on July 19 last.
On Saturday at the protest site, NPF MLAs who have remained loyal to Liezietsu continued to denounce the way Acharya handled the recent political crisis, which they said was an intra-party issue and he had no right to interfere. But by doing so, the governor has violated the Constitution of India, they claimed.
MLA P Longon did not mince his words: “PB Acharya is the most corrupt governor,” he flatly stated. He maintained that the governor’s ‘unconstitutional actions’ was disgraceful not just to Acharya himself, but to the government of India as well.
MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu, in his speech, lauded the NPF youth for standing up for the party and asked them to remain steadfast. “We consider you as equal shareholders but the other camp take you as commodities that can be purchased,” Nienu said, and urged upon them to stand strong and united and not allow themselves to be ‘purchased’.
“Within two-three months from now, if we stand firm, we will see victory,” he added.
He also stressed that all the 11 legislators on Liezietsu’s side have a history of having started their political careers with the cock party while the others on Zeliang’s side have joined the party from BJP, NCP, JD (U) and even Congress, suggesting the latter joined NPF only to enjoy power.
Nienu also reminded that the present crisis is a replica of the 2015 NPF crisis. Admitting that he was also in the rival group then for want of a change in leadership, he pointed out that their group had paraded their numbers in front of the governor thrice, asking him to invite them to form the government. However, he recalled, the governor had then, stated that it was an internal party matter and asked them to ‘go home’ and settle the issue. “The governor was right then, but this time no such procedure was followed,” he alleged.
He said they recognise and respect that Zeliang’s group has absolute majority but just because they have the numbers did not mean they can flout rules.
He also called upon all to remember that politically, the government of India does not give importance to Nagaland because the state has only one representative in each House of the Parliament. This, because they were forgetting the strategic location of the state, which otherwise needs a strong government to protect its state and its borders from encroachment and from infiltration.
“Today we want to see that the governor dismisses this unconstitutional government of TR Zeliang and bring back normalcy and at the same time, as the head of the state and as the governor, he (Acharya) is duty-bound to protect the Constitution,” Nienu stated. “If the governor cannot protect the Constitution…. and if the Constitution of India cannot protect the state, its subjects and its people, then they must leave the Nagas alone and give us sovereignty,” he added, and also questioned if the government of India was directly or indirectly asking or encouraging the Nagas to bring another country’s constitution to protect them, if not then the governor is duty-bound to protect the Constitution and thereby dismiss the unconstitutional government of TR Zeliang. If the governor could not do that then he should be recalled, as he (Acharya) was no longer wanted or welcome in Nagaland as the governor, he retorted.
“The government of India should choose a governor who is well versed with the Constitution, who can protect the Constitution and send him to Nagaland,” Nienu said. He told the gathering that once the ongoing democratic protest is over and if there was no outcome then the NPF should make another move after August 15 and approach the government of India to remove Acharya as governor.
Also addressing the rallyists, MLA CL John said the leaders who are in power today were mostly money and power seeking opportunists who were accustomed to shifting party allegiance. He remarked that both Zeliang and incumbent Lok Sabha MP and former chief minister Neiphiu Rio had come to power under the ‘umbrella of Dr. Shürhozelie’ but were now working against the latter. He emphasized that loyalty and character to remain steadfast on one’s stand were the qualities of a true leader.
The legislator also scoffed that Governor Acharya was not aware of the provisions of the Constitution of India that was why he failed to uphold the Constitution and had instead violated it by ‘using the power of RSS’. He however asserted that such things will not go on for long, as the RSS’ BJP would not be in power without end.
On the third day of its sit-in protest, the NPF youth wing has announced that the day being a Sunday, a ‘Devotional Service’ will be held at 11 am at the same venue- outside the Raj Bhavan Kohima. MLAs Chotisuh Sazo and Thongwang Konyak will be delivering short speeches while NPF Central general secretary Akho Leyri will be delivering ‘special message’. It was informed that an offering will be carried out during the service whose proceedings will be contributed to underprivileged children.