Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 24
The Indian National Congress (INC) in Nagaland has raised concerns related to politics in Nagaland and the BJP’s intentions in the state, ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. It urged the people of Nagaland to use the election as an opportunity to redefine their fate.
At a press conference at the Congress Bhavan on Friday, Wezote Kreo, Chairperson of Communications Department, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), spoke about the recent defection of Kikhevi Yepthomi, the election agent of Congress candidate and NPCC President, K Therie, to the BJP.
According to Kreo, Yepthomi left the party to join the BJP, a party whose ideology he had been opposing for the last two decades. While Kikhevi claimed during a press conference on Thursday that there is an improvement of power/electricity in Dimapur under the leadership of Tovihoto, “That is a lie. We have been facing power cuts regularly,” he said.
Kreo accused the BJP of giving false hope and making empty promises to the people, and claimed that those who defect to the BJP have no principles. “Today they joined BJP but next time when there is a change of leadership or government at the centre, we all will see them joining another party again,” he said.
Meanwhile, advocate Mahima Singh, AICC Media Coordinator for Nagaland, also spoke at the press conference, raising questions about the BJP’s allegations against the party. According to her, BJP has recently sent several leaders to the state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who accused the Congress of remote controlling Nagaland and using North-eastern states like an ATM.
Singh accused the BJP of offering itself as an ATM to the regional parties and then blackmailing them. She also criticized Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for his recent statement that “our fates are linked” and highlighted the lack of road infrastructure in the state.
According to Singh, Congress leaders like Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh, have categorically raised concerns and questions on BJP’s intent for the Christians of Nagaland, on what is their view of Nagaland 17 tribes with respect to the Uniform Civil Code, but they are silent. She also referred to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent statement about the uniqueness of Naga People, uniqueness of Naga history and recognition of friendship between Naga people and rest of the country and said “let me say that your actions in your encounter capital- the state of Assam speak louder than your words. Naga people are viewing the BJP’s view on minorities and tribes.”
Accusing the BJP of using the NPP as a pedestal to saffronise the state of Meghalaya, Singh claimed that “Next is Nagaland in line.”
Further, Singh highlighted the Congress party’s role in bringing rebel groups to the negotiating table and accused the BJP of trying to switch democracy to autocracy. The BJP has not made any mention of the Naga political solution in its current manifesto, leading to further speculation about the party’s intentions in the state, she said.
The Congress Party called on the people of Nagaland to reject the BJP’s attempts to condemn their uniqueness and engulf them in a larger religion, and instead, urged them to redefine their fate.
