Naga People’s Front (NPF) central has stated that since the party did not believe in violence it would continue to seek legal recourse against the rival camp.
Addressing a press conference at party central office here Monday, NPF central spokesperson Achumbemo Kikon said since the party has all legal rights, facts and figures, it would knock on the courts’ doors and continue the legal battle.
NPF central spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon, reiterated the statement of NPF president, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, during NPF CEC meeting on August 25 last, that the party cannot be given to “political tourist and professional defectors”.
Reacting to allegation made by the Press and Information Cell (P&IC) of the Rio-led NPF that Dr. Shürhozelie had no role in formation of NPF, Kikon said the party was formed not on any individual interest or to fulfil the desires and aspiration of a few vested people.
Kikon said that NPF began under the nomenclature Democratic Party of Nagaland (DPN) with a “Cock” symbol and was renamed to NPF over the years, but the symbol, party motto and flag remained the same. He said party changed its nomenclature for almost nine times but the objectives of the party on Naga political issue still stood.
Kikon said NPF adhered to the call of the Nagas of did not participate in the general election in 1998. However, he said the Congress party defied the call. Kikon said the current dissident members were there during the 1998 election as congress MLAs. “The ring leaders of this Hotel legacy group was there, the so called interim president and the chief minister, all these members were a part of the 1998 election defying the call of the Naga people,” he said.
Due to non-participation in the election, Kikon said the NPF sacrificed its party symbol, which was frozen by ECI. But in 1999 MP election, he said Dr. Shürhozelie again resigned from the party and contested in the MP election as independent to retain the party symbol.
Further, the spokesperson said that when the publication of “Bed Rock of Naga Society” boomeranged the Congress party, Rio and his group “who were trying to save their soul” joined the cock party.
He said it was Dr. Shürhozelie and his party that protected the party and gave leadership when Rio and Zeliang were politically lost.
Kikon said they should be courageous enough to acknowledge how they were saved, promoted their political career and gave opportunity to occupy the highest office.
Questioned on what moral ground the dissidents were charging the party president or the office, he said there was no logic in it.
Describing the current situation as “a small party hiccup”, Kikon expressed confidence the party would sail through no matter how hard the storm was.
On the charges that Dr. Shürhozelie ran away from the floor test on July 19 last, Kikon reiterated that since no one moved “no confidence motion”, the governor had no basis to summon assembly within 10 hours.
He said when any minister or head of the state was asked to step down, it was either because of corruption or immorality or other mischievous things committed. However, he said in the case of Dr. Shürhozelie he decided to check all source of corruption and that was when majority of the MLAs deserted him.
NPF vice president, Pusazo Luro, claimed that dissident members were in congress and joined NPF in 2002. He said for many years NPF were in opposition, but Dr. Shürhozelie nurtured the party. In this regard, he asked “how can his sacrifice be termed as wrong leader”.
NPF vice president, Zaku Tsükru, said Rio and Zeliang must have been in high school when Dr. Shürhozelie became MLA in 1969 and asked “how could they challenge Dr. Shürhozelie was not the founding member of the party”.
He also accused Rio and Zeliang of turning NPF party into “money oriented political party, created confusion with the objective of the party and turned it to power and wealth oriented party.”
He said Rio and Zeliang have accommodated all kinds of people like the former bureaucrats, doctors and engineers who actually do not have basic idea of politics.
Tsükru said being expelled and suspended they had no right to claim NPF as their party.