DIMAPUR, JUNE 5 (MExN): Former Finance Minister in the DAN government and dissident NPF MLA K. Therie who along with dissident leader Z. Obed had earlier met the Governor staking claim to form an alternative government maintained that the “ball is in the court of the Governor of Nagaland”. “We remain faithfully awaiting justice”, Therie stated while leveling serious corruption charges against the Chief Minister for “misusing Rs 15 crore” kept under the Chief Minister’s Road Fund.
Therie in a press note reiterated on what had earlier been brought to light by Z. Obed in the latter’s representation to the Governor submitted on June 3 wherein the Chief Minister was accused to be indulging in horse trading. Therie stated that the direction to allot Rs 30 lakhs each to 14 MLAs including for the Chief Minister had explicitly displayed corruption and horse trading. “In the functioning of the government, funds are allotted to works and not to persons. In the present case, funds are allotted to individual persons and not works”, Therie alleged adding that this was clear enough evidence of the “intention to lure the members with public funds, draining the exchequer”.
Therie also continued to maintain that of the 43 DAN members, the group led by Obed had 22 members who have expressed on their own volition, to withdraw their support to the leadership of Rio in letters addressed to the Governor of Nagaland. It was further claimed that 16 NPF members constituting a majority was with them. “The claim here is that 16 NPF members is majority amongst the 31 effective NPF MLAs, having regard to the dignity and sanctity of the Speaker’s office for its neutrality”.
Therie further claimed that among the 10 members in question, one had proposed Z. Obed to hold the responsibility of leadership and that it had taken a good amount of time to reach the majority mark of 22 out of 43 DAN members. “When the majority mark was attained, Mr Obed faithfully carried the responsibility entrusted upon him and submitted to the Governor for change of leadership, as he has gained majority both in the NPF as well as DAN legislatures”, Therie went on.
Terming as unfortunate that some leaders are trying to retract from their stand and betray Z. Obed, the statement pointed out that it was not only Obed but other members and the Naga public would be betrayed and “this would not go down well in history”.
“It would be good to correct the error. If this was in their minds, they should have retracted from Shri Obed before submission to his Excellency, the Governor of Nagaland”, Therie stated adding that “this attempted retraction has no meaning in the eyes of law and such behaviour cannot be accepted by the people”.
Further, pointing out that the DAN government under the present Chief Minister had failed to take initiatives to “secure negotiated settlement as promised”, Therie stated that the goal was to secure negotiated settlement to the political problem by promoting understanding, mutual respect and good will for each other. Therie maintained that the present dispensation had failed to represent people’s aspiration in the true sense. “People need new directive and new initiative from a new leader”, Therie stated while maintaining that there has to be “resolution and not solution”, for Naga political problem has originated through a “plebiscite resolution”. “It is the people’s aspiration, not a mathematical question. We have to synchronize politics and economics, keeping in mind the maximum welfare of the people in perspective to the economic growth in the world”.
Therie reminded that the present proposal is merely to replace the leader of the single largest ruling party of DAN. “Therefore, the single largest party and DAN alliance will continue to rule. The proposal is not going to displace the ruling position”, Therie stated.
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