State chief minister T.R.Zeliang has responded to the press statement issued by the rival NPF (Kaito group) wherein the group’s party president Noke Wangnao and legislature party leader G. Kaito Aye, cited the names of ‘T.R. Zeliang, Kevizenuo Rangkau’ and ‘T.R. Zeliang’ as beneficiaries of “transaction of black money amounting to Rs.78 crores from OCBC Bank BHD, People’s Park Centre, Singapore and DBS Bank Ltd.,Sheraton Way, Singapore as per transfer details provided by the two.
In a statement, Karaibo Chawang, Media Officer (MO) to the CM reiterated that neither the chief minister nor his wife, whose names have been dragged, hold any bank accounts overseas.
Further, it was reiterated that the chief minister “is not a beneficiary of the funds” and has invited the Government of India to probe the allegations made against him by any appropriate central agency at the earliest, so as to clear the his name and that of his wife.
In addition, the MO also requested newspapers to accord equally prominence to rebuttal as with the accusations and to “kindly refrain” from publication of “false aspersions” cast by unscrupulous people, as it was tantamount to defamation.
MO termed the documents as “forged and fabricated” with malicious intent to tarnish the image of the chief minister which only confirmed that the detractors were resorting to “ all illegal and foul means” to remove him from the chair. Further, the statement demanded that those who produced the documents have to prove their authenticity, failing which they will be liable for criminal proceedings for “forgery and misleading the public”.
Further, the MO maintained, that the recent statement by Noke Wangnao and G.Kaito Aye accusing the chief minister of corruption and “black money transfer” was a “ clear sign that the dissident group have exhausted all political arguments”.
MO said the allegations also reflected the willingness of both “ to stoop down further” by directing their false accusations into a personal attack.
The chief minister was confident, that the Naga public who have been witnessing the “unfolding twists and turns of the dissident NPF group” would view the “latest somersault, as a desperate move to attain political advantage at all costs” even if it meant perpetrating absolute falsehood, the MO said.
On the ongoing crisis, the MO said the NPF party, from the beginning, always maintained that the dissident activities within NPF, to remove the T.R.Zeliang was “initiated without any basis and in complete violation of all constitutional norms of the party and parliamentary decorum” that bound its legislators.
According to the statement, “leaders of dissident camp” had initially confused their own members that once the state Governor returned, they would approach him to form the government but it failed. It said, the second tactic was to convince their members that they were summoned to Delhi by the union home minister but that the minister refused to meet them.
The MO said when the dissidents failed to remove T.R.Zeliang as chief minister after learning that the cabinet had at its January 15 meeting, recommended to the Governor for a confidence motion in the assembly, “dissident leaders and their supporters” then came up with “ the baseless allegation again” to confuse their members and supporters.
The MO reasserted, that it would not be long before the people of the state would see the real picture when the “trial of strength” recommended by the cabinet, “takes place”.
Dr. Shürho pained by ‘wild allegations’
NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie said he was “deeply pained” by level stooped by the “rebel camp” in making allegations against him and the chief minister over the “exchange of enormous amount of black money” allegedly stashed in some foreign banks by the chief minister of Nagaland.
Stoutly refuting the allegations, he said public know how Naga politics “has sharply and amazingly shifted from the established order of decency to such low levels of hitting someone below the belt on personal lines”.
Dr. Shürhozelie reminded of his long innings in public life and his retirement from electoral politics last year and being elected unopposed as NPF president on November 26,2014, as the longest regional party in the country.
He said it showed the trust reposed on him by party leaders and public as he “rarely courted any controversy of this nature”.
Dr. Shürhozelie said Nagas know that his life was an open book, of steadfastly serving the cause of the people and public purposes. When people serve noble causes, they inevitably “meet with attempts of stigmatisation”, Dr. Shürhozelie said adding that the “present allegation is one of such category”.
He appealed to Naga public “not to be swayed by these unfounded, baseless and unscrupulous statements of desperate and frustrated elements”.
Thursday, February 19, 2026