Zeliang fires point- by-point rebuttals to Rio’s allegations
Kohima, December 11 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today accused the Nagaland State Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha Neiphiu Rio of ‘factual distortion’ as the latest rift in the Naga People’s Front (NPF) resurface in the public arena.
While tendering his resignation as the ‘President of the NPF,’ Rio in a letter on December 8 had charged Zeliang of carrying out a signature campaign behind his back to remove him as the President to support Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu.
Stating that he was compelled to take up the responsibility, Rio alleged that he took the mantle of ‘NPF President’ only after Zeliang “had misunderstandings and conflict” with Dr Shürhozelie.
In point- by-point rebuttal, however, Zeliang denied the allegation and stated that it was Rio’s emissary who approached him first in June this year and met him several times with a proposal to work together.
“This exercise was not therefore commenced by me but by you and your emissary,” claimed Zeliang’s letter to Rio, released to the media here by Chief Minister’s Office.
Accordingly, a ‘formula’ was arranged whereby Zeliang “has to canvass for a Ministerial berth” for Rio in Delhi and the latter has to support the former in the state.
“Subsequently, when 36 NPF MLAs, 4 BJP MLAs and 7 Independents lent their support to me, through Constitutional and democratic means, I became Chief Minister again,” Zeliang added.
Zeliang further said that after he became the Chief Minister, Rio in view of the arrangement, was elected as “the interim President and thereafter as the President of the Party, which was allegedly ratified at the General Convention held on 20th September, 2017.”
“This usurpation was therefore at your own behest,” the Chief Minister told the MP. He further maintained that Rio engaged himself “in an evaluation exercise by calling the NPF MLAs one by one for change of guard” in his favour but it went in vain.
At the core Committee’s meeting held on November 28, 2017, when members raised the question of re-issuing of party tickets to them, Rio rejected it on ground that the time for such a demand had not arisen, Zeliang said.
According to Zeliang, it was Rio who “unilaterally rejected” the call of Dr. Shürhozelie for reconciliation without consulting him or other colleagues.
The CM also charged the MP of being the architect of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) but not dissociating himself either from NDPP or NPF thereby “creating confusion amongst our followers.”
“It is a public fact,” he averred. In this regard, fearing uncertainty of their political future, Zeliang asserted that around 28 MLAs came to him and suggested for reconciliation with Dr. Shürhozelie since the “protection of the Party’s COCK symbol from being frozen was the foremost electoral imperative.”
Subsequently, “as per the wishes of more than a majority of the NPF MLAs, the Memorandum of Reconciliation was signed between me and Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu in the presence of three MLAs from each group,” the Chief Minister added. “This reconciliation also acquires utmost relevance when all Nagas are longing for early solution well before the elections.”
“As a good friend,” Zeliang further requested Rio not to take things personally as “everything that is happening is not due to my personal decisions but owing to collective decisions taken for the welfare of all concerned.”
“As a leader, I consider it my bounden duty to salvage the future of the party and its members.”
.JPG)
