Congress demands dismissal of Neiphiu Rio government in Nagaland

KOHIMA: The Congress on Wednesday urged Nagaland Governor Jagdish Mukhi to dismiss the Neiphiu Rio-led all party United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government claiming that the administration has collapsed in the state and is no longer a peoples' government.

The Congress submitted a memorandum to the Raj Bhavan in the absence of the governor, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president Kewekhape Therie told reporters.

Though no deadline has been set by Congress for the dismissal of the Rio government, he asserted that the UDA government is no longer a peoples' government and therefore the party will continue to demand its removal.

He referred to NSCN(IM)'s allegation that the state's lawmakers were going beyond their 'assigned role' as facilitator to the Naga political issue and claimed it is an admission that it is the outfit which is running the state and not the UDA.

The Congress had expected that the Nagaland chief minister will deny the allegation but "he has not done it so far," Therie said.

Claiming that the survival of NSCN(IM) and the continuance of the Rio government are "interdependent", he said "This is the reason they have no concrete agenda for a solution to the Naga political issue for the last 25 years...Their plan is to survive together without settlement."

The government, he said, has been allowing extortion deliberately on all items which is impacting prices and even people take their disputes to "insurgent courts" now.

"Administration has long collapsed".

Referring to Rio's statement on Tuesday that as facilitator of the Naga peace process the government cannot voice anything, except bringing the negotiators together, Therie said it proved that the Rio government is no longer a people's government.

"Does Rio represent people of Nagaland ?...If he does not, why should he sit in the chair of people's government? He should be dismissed to facilitate implementation of the political solution," he said.

On the Core Committee of the Nagaland government approaching Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to mediate in the discussions, he said "It is submission of the sovereign powers of the state government to the Assam government."

He also wondered why the Core Committee of the Nagaland government went to the chief minister of another state.

"Does Sarma have partnership or control over Nagaland as well?" Therie said, "Congress respects all the neighbouring states, but we do not want involvement of another state in the political solution as it concerns Nagaland."

On NSCN(IM) sticking to its stand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas, which has become an issue in resolution of the Naga political problem, Therie claimed that the Naga outfit and the Centre have "inner understanding" since before signing the Agreement.

"Now after signing the Framework Agreement why do they (NSCN(IM) and Centre) have to back out from that inner understanding?" he asked.