Kohima, July 29 (MExN): The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) President Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu today ‘advised’ ruling Nationalist People Democratic Party (NDPP) to concentrate “more on writing about the achievement of their Government, if any” rather than repeating baseless ‘allegations again and again.’
He was responding to the allegation leveled by NDPP that Dr Liezietsu has also become a “fortune teller” predicting the fall of the party and events during his tenure as the state’s Chief Minister.
‘I am not a fortune teller because, I do not believe in such practices. “Unlike them (NDPP), I neither envies others nor have ill-will against any one. I only speak out what is in my mind,” he stated in a counter rejoinder to NDPP’s statement.
“Forgetting their responsibility to highlight the achievements of their Government, which is in power today, if they go on attacking the opposition people repeating the same allegations again and again, it is for the people of Nagaland to judge if such Government can deliver goods to the people as a welfare state,” he added.
Justifying the context in which he claimed that that NPF will survive the test of time during the inauguration of new NPF Dimapur building on July 25, Dr Liezietsu said the state have “seen many political parties like NNO, NCN, NPP, DLP, NDM, NDP, UNDP came up in the past but all disappeared again, may be due to lack of political ideology and commitment.”
“NPF is the only party that survived against all odds for more than 50 years because this party was handed down to us with a purpose by our elders,” he said, adding that he was “speaking to my own party people when I mentioned the names of other political parties that came up and disappeared including NDPP.”
“If NDPP feel hurt, if they feel that they do not belong to that group of political parties, if they feel they are growing from strength to strength every day, let matter ends there, I have no argument,” he added.
“I have nothing to say even if they grow out of proportion one day.”
However, the NPF supremo wondered why the NDPP are “repeating the same charges” against him all the time” by pointing out the same issue had cropped up in February this year.
In my rejoinder to NDPP President Chingwang Konyak, I had thrown an open challenge to him for a public debate since I did not take interest in paper war allegations leveled against on February 4, he maintained.
“But while their President remains silent on the issue, their media and communication centre is repeating the allegations again and again as if, I repeat, under the influence of something that is so attractive to few people,” he maintained, indicating the charges were baseless.
Regarding the NDPP’s allegation that Dr Liezietsu’s action has lead downfall of erstwhile NPF-led DAN government, the latter also wondered this pre-occupation regarding his “Chief Minister-ship.”
“Yes, my Government was dismissed unceremoniously by BJP Government at the Centre with the help of then Governor and some tall leaders in Nagaland. The NDPP always seem amused for that dismissal because they have played their role well in that drama, which they considered it a success on their part,” he retorted.
Regarding the issue, Dr Liezietsu maintained that he has no regret as he never “asked for that chair by myself” and was “rather offered or forced to take up the responsibility under compelling situation” after the state went through a turmoil resulting in loss of two lives as well as burning down of Government offices in state capital.
“We need not go further to find out who was responsible for creating such situation,” he added suggestively.
In this regard, the NPF President asserted that during his short stay as CM, he played his part fairly and “brought the situation under complete control within one month’s time.”
“It was not me but the providence hands that controlled the situation and the co-operation extended by the people. I am not claiming any credit but I am only telling about what had happened during that short tenure,” he added.
