Kohima, June 20 (MExN): In response to the statement of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) published on June 20, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) president, Shürhozelie Liezietsu today demanded the former to prove the two “serious character assassination allegations” – the allegations of being a “liar” and “President on Bail”.
Referring to the alleged statement of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio that Naga integration was not possible and PDA government would not oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, Shürhozelie in a rejoinder asserted, “NPF stands for protection of Nagaland interest and, therefore, we are against these statements of the Chief Minister. If they say that their Chief Minister did not make any statement as such, say so.”
“But without having any ground to justify their stand, why they made angry outburst calling me a liar…I am not a liar and I cannot become a liar just because they called me a liar,” he maintained.
The NPF chief further told the NDPP he is not ‘a President on bail’. He reminded that NDPP had filed FIR against him just before the recently concluded bye-election in Nagaland saying he had “indulged in highly inflammatory speeches which had the effect of promoting feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will and creating disharmony between different communities on the ground of religion.”
Shürhozelie in the rejoinder admitted he had said, “We have freedom of religion in Nagaland as per the provision of Article 25 of the Constitution of India; but in some BJP ruled States, this freedom is no more.” He had also declared to defend the Christian faith in Nagaland and appealed his party leaders to tell the people the truth what the Christians have been facing in the country today, according to the rejoinder.
“The NDPP wanted to arrest me and therefore they have filed FIR against me. If so, why they failed to arrest me,” it questioned. “Do they think that they could cow me down by doing this? I stand for the truth and if I should go to jail for what I have said to defend my own faith, even if they jail me, I will not be worried, but I will rather be proud of it for defending my people and my faith.”
Shürhozelie asserted that he will continue to tell the people “the danger of anti-Christian violence in the country so that people of Nagaland will be on our guard to avoid the dangers stated above.”
