Therie plea for ‘Secular Front’ to fight 2023 Assembly elections

Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K. Therie has called upon “all likeminded leaders and political parties” to join hands to form a ‘Secular Front’ to jointly fight the forthcoming assembly elections to be held in 2023.
Addressing media persons at Congress Bhavan here Monday, Therie revealed that his party(Congress) had resolved to approach like-minded parties like NPF, JD(U) and other parties, to forge a ‘Secular Front’ during its extended executive committee meeting held recently. Therie asserted that the objective was to defeat the BJP and ensure that it would be prevented from becoming part of the government in 2023.
He said that the objective of the Secular Front would be to provide- good governance, restore, protect, defend and salvage Nagaland with a government that will be for the people.
The NPCC president, therefore, appealed to the public and the intending candidates to rise on the occasion in order to establish a secular front and secular government in the State.
Therie said their main focus was to fight against Uniform Civil Code, Citizen Amendment bill and ensure freedom of religion and expression for all. Therie, therefore appealed to the citizens of Nagaland to come out and vote for the right candidate to establish a secular government.
Therie also accused the UDA government for failing to raise its voice against persecution of Christians and ill treatment meted out on minorities. He said chief minister Neiphiu Rio, being a Christian himself, has never uttered a word and remained silent on such issues.
Instead, Therie said Rio joined hands and facilitated BJP to be part of the government in a Christian majority state.
Therie further went on to accuse the UDA government of misleading the public/villagers that formation of government in Nagaland cannot be possible without the BJP.
With BJP having just 12 legislators in the house of 60, Therie asked why was Rio, along with 47 other MLAs, afraid of the 12 BJP MLAs?. “He (Rio) has belittled the value of MLAs in Nagaland,” Therie said. The press meet was also attended by other senior Congress leaders.