‘BJP will not shy away from public responsibility’: Jonny G. Rengma
Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 7
BJP national vice president for Scheduled Tribe Morcha, Jonny G. Rengma, today rubbished speculations in sections of the media that Nagaland State Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is “not likely going to Delhi.”
“A leader and a statesman of Rio’s stature would not have volunteered to go as an MP from Nagaland, how can one believe that he will disrespect the mandate of the Naga people?” he questioned.
Addressing media persons this afternoon, Rengma maintained that the speculations in the media is demonstrative that some people are trying to question Rio’s “political moral or character.”
On the Congress demand for re-poll in the State, he said the Election Commission of India should have taken timely action “when or if” they had received complaints during the “stipulated time”.
He hoped that Rio’s successor would be one from among the “new generation leaders” in order to keep the promises of NPF election slogans that Naga people cannot afford a government led by an “old aged person”.
Stating that Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the president of NPF, is the “patriarch of the regional party not only in Nagaland but in the entire North East,” he said “we are fortunate to have him as DAN chairman and I am confident that he will be able to sort out the successor of Rio from within the NPF legislators taking the confidence of DAN partners.”
Rengma alleged that communal violence in the North East, particularly in Assam, be it in Bodo area or Karbi Anglong, is the manifestation and the result of Congress abuse of vote banks among the minority community. As a result, he stated, people of the North East states have responded against the Congress party in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
He also expressed confidence that BJP and NDA alliance is likely to win 13 out of 25 seats including Sikkim in the North Eastern states.
The BJP, he said, has never believed in toppling any democratically elected government but after the Lok Sabha poll results, few State governments starting from the JDU-led government in Bihar and Congress led government in Assam might collapse of contradiction within their own party, he said. He further added that BJP will not shy away from public responsibility in order to avoid burdening the people from untimely elections.
Stating that more than 80% of the North East states share international border, particularly with South East Asian countries, he said the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto has focused on “international policy of governance.” “The progress of the North Eastern states will be the strength of India, that is the BJP agenda of governance,” he said.
