Party will not ask dissidents to return: Shürhozelie

Our Correspondent
Kohima, August 31 (EMN): Naga People’s Front (NPF) president and MLA Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Thursday categorically stated that the time, to ask the 36 dissident legislators to return to the main party-fold, is over.
“If any of them wants to come back, we will accept them, but we will not call them again to come back,” Liezietsu said while addressing the general conference of the NPF Kohima Division at the State Academy Hall, Kohima.
Terming the present NPF crisis as a replica of the 2015 crisis where majority of the NPF MLAs had camped at Sovima and revolted against the party for 116 days, he asserted that these crises were the handiwork of some leaders who had allowed ‘power to go their head’. He reminded party workers that the party has 396-paged record of what transpired during the previous crisis in the form of a book.
The manner in which the dissident group have elected their own president and set up their office bearers, all these indicate that the present crisis is nothing new but a repetition of the 2015 episode, he said. While recalling that after they failed to claim the party they had gone up to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and even attempted to freeze the cock symbol, Liezietsu stated that the party has not heard about the dissident group going to the ECI again this time. “If they really believed they are legitimate, they should have approached ECI by now,” he said.
He also called upon the people not to be confused or misled with whatever statement the dissidents have been making.
Liezietsu told party workers not to be discouraged because the party currently has minority of the MLAs. “The party does not belong to the legislators but the legislators belong to the party,” he stated.
He also reiterated that the NPF party is deeply rooted with the Naga people as the founders formed this party for the cause of the peaceful solution to the Naga political issue and for the welfare of the Naga people. Therefore, he said, the party cannot be handed over to people who only believe their might and power can control the whole system, and are constantly engaging in ‘illegal’ tricks.
Referring to the dismissal of his government in July, Liezietsu alleged that it was all pre-planned by Governor PB Acharya, Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio, present chief minister TR Zeliang and some central BJP leaders. Nagaland being the stronghold of the regional NPF party, he said, the BJP had no scope in the state, and therefore they had to install ‘TR government’ by unconstitutional means so as to pave way for a BJP government in the state in future.
On the issue of the party whip, Liezietsu pointed out that it is clearly mentioned in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India that the party whip is appointed by the political party and not by legislators or legislature wing of the party. Accordingly, he said the NPF had appointed MLA Kiyanilie Peseyie as the official whip in 2014 which was published in the official gazette and so far, the party has not authorized or assigned any other MLA to be the party whip. Peseyie’s tenure as whip will expire only in March 2018, he added.
He maintained that the dissident MLAs appointing TR Zeliang as the party whip can never be recognized by any court of law and he believed that sooner or later, appropriate judgement will be delivered by the court.
Stating that the rebel MLAs will try to confuse the people and lure party workers in between the pronouncement of the court judgment, Liezietsu however maintained any party workers who left for the dissident group will be automatically detaching themselves from the NPF.
“They (Rio and TR’s group) are doing all illegal things with their money power and any party member who goes to them or sign anything with them, they should know they are not part of NPF anymore,” he stated, adding, the party workers must explain the stand of the party to those who are blindly following the other group and make them realize and come back.
The party president also reiterated that NPF will be giving opportunity for young aspiring candidates if there is to be an election in 2018. Towards this, he asked all the constituencies under Kohima division, particularly Kohima Town AC, Southern Angami-I and Southern Angami-II, to start identifying potential candidates.
Meanwhile, ‘DAN chairman’, MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu asserted that ‘the whole world knows’ that NPF party belongs to Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu’s group and that he (Liezietsu) is the legitimate president of the NPF party till 2020. Pointing out that there can be MPs, MLAs and a government only through a party, he alleged that the present government is “totally unconstitutional” and the dissident group is heading a “party-less government”.
“Time will tell us how long the TR government will last… Within a short period of time, justice will prevail,” he added. Nienu also suggested that instead of creating crisis in the NPF party, good sense should prevail. Expressing hope that ‘Rio and Zeliang would come to their senses’ and leave the NPF party alone, he remarked that they were only degrading themselves by forcefully trying to take away the party.
Former minister and CEC member, Thenucho Tunyi, who also spoke on the occasion, made a reference to the recent decision made by the Governor of Tamil Nadu, refusing to interfere in an internal-party affair; the recent conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, demonstrates the strong judiciary system in India. He hoped that it would do justice to the prevailing situation as truth always prevails.
“Political crises are not new phenomena. Every political party has faced one crisis or another. Differences can crop up at any time but there is no problem which does not have a solution. As enshrined in the NPF Constitution-The Party is wedded to the principle of non-violence and shall strive for resolution of all conflicts through peaceful means; our differences can be resolved through peaceful dialogue,” Tunyi stated.
“A cool head and tolerance are the need of the hour. Dr. Shürhozelie has exhibited his magnanimity by making Rio and Zeliang chief ministers during his leadership as the president of NPF. And as a Naga saying goes, ‘before the sun sets give due respect to the elders’, I hope good sense will prevail,” he added.