After the NPF legislature responded to the ultimatum served on it including leader of the opposition NPF and former chief minister, T.R. Zeliang over allegations of irregularities in RD fund allotments and also the undue favour shown on a particular village allegedly by principal secretary RD, Lhoubeilatuo Kire, NPF leader T.R. Zeliang has come out defending himself.
In a statement, Zeliang reaffirmed that NPF as a party will continue to play its role as a responsible opposition in the interest of the Nagas and that any attempt to silence it by roping one’s own village, clan or family “will be the greatest political evil” that the state would ever experience.
In a lengthy rejoinder, Zeliang also clarified that the current issue was not between two people or between two clans/villages or NGOs, but between the R.D. department and the general MNREGS beneficiaries.
He said since NPF had provided sufficient clarification after making the allegation, it was now the “bounden duty” of the department to come out with clarification with facts and figures by now to put all doubts and confusion to rest. .
Zeliang also said he might have committed some mistakes in the past but admitted that he did not recall any action(s) that he had initiated against Lhoubeilatuo Kire “based on hatred or enmity some 20 years back” which was alleged by the clan.