NPCC’s merger claim ‘distorted information’, says Along

State BJP president and minister for tribal affairs, technical education Temjen Imna Along Saturday said that the claims made by Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K. Theire was nothing but “distorted information”.
Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of an event here, Along said NDPP and BJP as two political parties of the State have come together with the blessings of Central leaders. And for this alliance to continue even in the years to come, will also be with the blessings of the Central leaders, he added.
“There is no hidden agenda in it for merger of NDPP into BJP” he said adding that chief minister has already made his stand clear.
“Politics can be played but the information from where they (NPCC) are getting is somewhere out of where we don’t get information,” Along stated.
Despite most BJP party functionaries’ insistence that the party should contest all 60 seats in the next assembly polls, Along said the decision of his leaders in Delhi– BJP national president JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah and BJP general secretary BL Santosh– was “final”.
When asked whether prior consultations were held before the joint declaration (seat sharing) was announced, Along said as the state president, he had to follow the directives of the national president.
“So what they have decided is what I concur,” Along said, adding that there was no need for consultation as the Central leaders knew what was best for the State.
“The wisdom of the Central leaders was to give good governance and stability to the people of the State. So, the right way of doing it is the alliance to continue to prove its worth in vis-à-vis the Naga political issue, vis-à-vis development and inclusiveness progress of the people of the State,” he said.
On BJP’s slogan “Election for Solution”, Along said it is the endeavour of the Modi-led government to resolve the decades old Naga political issue.
“Being willing to assert a settlement or solution to the age-old Naga political issue is the endeavour of the Modi-led government… negotiations go on and there may be some hitches and some agreeable things. If somethings have still not been settled, then one cannot blame the BJP government for not settling it,” Along said.
He said if Nagas “agree to disagree on something and we still need some time to agree with each other or some people are already to agree, I think there need to be an inclusive solution.” Therefore, he said the Centre was putting all efforts to resolve the issue and its commitment towards Naga people was genuine.
He said the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home minister Amit Shah was ready to give a settlement. He, however, asked whether Nagas were completely inclusive to accept it.