Kohima:President of the ruling Naga Peoples Front Shurhozelie has claimed that the BJP high command is with the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland and will not do anything to destabilize the only NDA-aligned state government in the Northeast.
According to a party release, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu said this while addressing party workers yesterday on his return to Kohima from New Delhi.
He further said the Union home ministry has directed the governor to summon the Nagaland Assembly for a floor test. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘had phoned BJP president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP general secretary in charge of Northeast Ram Madhav and apprised them of the situation in Nagaland and the stand the party should take’.
Dr Shurhozelie also quoted Mr Shah as saying, ‘We have no intention of destabilizing any state government. And when we have no intention of disturbing even Congress-ruled states, why should we disturb the only NDA-aligned state in the Northeast?’
He further informed that the BJP president, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Ram Madhav held a separate meeting and ‘it was conveyed to us late in the evening that the BJP is still with the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland and that the Home Ministry has directed the governor to summon the assembly for a floor test.
‘We were also told that necessary directives have been issued to Nagaland BJP chief.’
Dr Shurhozelie expressed confidence that ‘not all dissidents would go against the Party Whip and get themselves disqualified. Some of them are sure to vote in tune with the Whip. So there is no threat at all to our party’s government under the leadership of Mr T. R. Zeliang.’
On the petition filed by the Noke led NPF with the Election Commission of India, Dr Shurhozelie termed the move as ‘unfortunate, childish and shameful’.
‘Their tactic is to confuse the public. But the petition has nothing to do with the present crisis. We will file our reply countering them as per norms of the party constitution. We will give a befitting reply in due course of time. The Election Commission of India knows well which of us has been following the laid-down rules contained in the party’s constitution,’ the release quoted him as saying. (UNI)
