Dismissing NPF’s attack on chief minister Neiphiu Rio over the latter’s purported statement made before the media on integration of contiguous Naga-inhabited areas, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) claimed that there was no truth in the allegations and that these were primarily aimed at personally attacking Neiphiu Rio.
In a statement issued by its media & communications committee, NDPP said the attack on the chief minister was reflection of a frustrated opposition whose house continued to break down after being rejected by the people in election after election.
The ruling party asserted that there was no merit in the opposition’s attempts to question the chief minister’s stand or integrity on the issue of Naga integration and elaborated on Rio’s series of initiatives on the matter.
Pointing out how Rio had resigned from Congress government in 2002 opposing the “Bedrock of Naga Society”, NDPP recalled that Rio then revived the erstwhile NPC that had no elected representative in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and was on the verge of oblivion.
Consequent upon the 2003 Assembly elections, the NPF-led DAN government headed by Rio was installed and in that same year NLA unanimously passed a resolution on December 18 for integration of contiguous Naga areas under one administrative umbrella, the ruling party recalled.