Hitting back at president NPF Central Dr.Shürhozelie for his statement, NPF (Noke) through its press and media cell, said it was “most unfortunate” to observe “personalised remarks” made by the former “against the senior most leaders of Naga politics” to the “extent of dragging family connections into public domain”.
The media cell said that in around 30 years of active politics in the state, Dr.Shürhozelie always had the approach, that if something was good for him, then it “should be forcefully made to look good for the party and Naga society”.
The media cell listed the following decisions and actions taken by Dr. Shürhozelie during the past decades:
1.that he decided that the regional party boycott the general elections in toto in 1998 when he realised he virtually had no chance to win from his constituency. The media cell said the decision not only ensured a clean sweep by the Congress but sent the regional party(NPC) into a slumber that led the Election Commission of India to withdraw the ‘Cock’symbol; 2. that in 1999, he decided to resign from the regional party to contest the Lok Sabha election as an independent hoping other parties and Naga public would support him “but he was handed a landslide defeat”;3.that when then finance minister K.Therie charged him for deviating from the party policy of “one man.one post” when continued to be both minister and party president, it said Dr. Shürhozelie “instead demanded the immediate dismissal of K.Therie from the council of ministers”; 4.that in 2008, when DAN-II was formed, he was requested to be the Speaker, but refused on the plea that he “still had some unfinished business in the Urban development department” that would take a year, then step down.However, “never kept his word” said the media cell; 5.that in 2013 when DAN-III ministry was formed,some miscreants destroyed NPF Central Office Kohima but that he said nothing.
However, said the media cell, when similar incidents took place in Mokokchung after change of guard , it said Dr. Shürhozelie dissolved the entire division and issued disciplinary notices and acted against senior party workers; 6 that when change of guard for the chief minister’s chair was imminent in 2014, it said he set up a core committee “against all democratic and parliamentary norms” for selection of the next chief minister by carrying out “forceful signature campaign to favour his candidate” and allegedly even threatened members with disqualification if they withdrew their signatures; 7 that he “facilitated and encouraged” legislators to camp in Kaziranga(Assam) to decide on selection of the leader of Nagaland under “the most unconstitutional and unethical circumstances”.Media cell said till today he had not spoken a word against the Kaziranga episode; 8 that he initiated an amendment in the NPF constitution to cling to power and position by lengthening the term from three to five years; 9 that he was re-elected as NPF president by a search committee which he appointed.It said he appointed search committees for all divisions to appoint new office bearers. It claimed that there exist no such provision in the NPF constitution nor any constitution that allowed search committees to re-elect a party president. Media cell said his re-election was “merely announced and taken approval during the party convention and that it was “not by any means an election”; 10 that earlier he had assured NPF legislators and senior leaders that he would support the majority and respect the inner democracy of the Legislators Forum but that once majority voice emerged he went back on his word and instead expelled and suspended nine MLAs who sided with the majority as per “norms of inner democracy”.
Meanwhile, media cell stated that Dr. Shürhozelie, who had always said people and the workers at the grassroots were the real high command of the party unlike any national party, was today “eating his own words”. It said his “autocratic and dictatorial style” of functioning has exposed that he has always been behaving like the “super high command.”
The cell maintained if he indeed believed that the grassroots were the real high command of the party, he should understand that Noke Wangnao and Kaito Aye have the “unanimous support” of the clear majority of the NPF at the grassroots level with 40 assembly constituencies and 10 divisions extending support to duo. Moreover, it said 22 elected MLAs and both the MPs were also behind the majority.
Media cell said Dr. Shürhozelie’s actions should follow the words that he has spoken time and again and acknowledge the leadership of those who have the support of the majority. Asserting he has been party president for more than ten years, it asked “how many districts and interior parts of the state has he visited?”
The cell further queried how many constituencies and districts had he campaigned and covered during assembly elections and national elections?
Also, asking how many districts in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh had he campaigned in?, the cell said “is he not behaving like a super high command operating with super powers from Kohima?”
It went on to ask was he not responsible for the disqualification of the three BJP MLAs that had deeply hurt the sentiments of the BJP high command and had adversely impacted the governance of the state?
“Why did he personally boycott and not attend the visits of Lok Sabha Speaker Smt Sumitra Mahajan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when these leaders of the country visited Nagaland?,” it alleged.
The cell stated that today the affairs of the party and the government would not have reached this stage if only Dr. Shürhozelie had respected the majority view of the party and the NPF legislators.
He should have played a neutral role instead of taking sides, it said.
Media cell maintained that as “ex-NPF party president” he should stop issuing threats and intimidation since he has been “removed from office”.
Claiming that he has no political or moral responsibility to continue claiming to be party president, it said he should accept the verdict of the party and its the rank and file and gracefully pave the way for the new president.
Reminding of a special emergency meeting of the party in 2002, also participated by Dr. Shürhozelie, which had removed the then president late Huska Sumi, media cell said at that point in time, Huska paved the way in the most gentlemanly manner.
The cell stated that he should learn from the example set by senior leaders instead of continuing with his attitude of forcefully insisting that “what is good for him is good for the party and the State.”
Friday, February 20, 2026