NPF on PDA Coalition parliamentary electoral campaign

Kohima, 20th March 2019

COMMUNIQUE

The PDA Coalition parliamentary electoral campaign held at DDSC Stadium on March 19 was nothing short of a public display of the two biggest political chameleons in Naga politics, Neiphiu Rio and Yanthungo Patton.

1. As we recall, in 2002, a year before the State Assembly elections of 2003, Rio deserted Dr. SC Jamir, the then Chief Minister of Nagaland, in protest against the book ‘Bedrock of Naga Society.’ The book, written by Jamir, which stated that the 16 Point Agreement was the final solution between the Nagas, and the Government of India was vehemently condemned by Rio during the time.

In pursuance to the 16 Point Memorandum submitted to the GOI in July 1960, Article 371(A) was inserted in Part XXI of the Constitution of India by the 13th Amendment Act, 1962 and the State of Nagaland under the Indian Union was created as the 16th State. Article 371(A) which has been the main subject of discussion in recent times, is an outcome of the 16 Point Agreement.

Recently, Neiphiu Rio declared that any Naga talking against Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India shall amount to betrayal of the Naga people. He also said that the Nagas are protected by Article 371(A) against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. This is evidently clear by his statement delivered during the Budget Session on February 22, 2019.

This double-standard attitude of Rio is highly objectionable. In 2002, he resigned as Home Minister in protest against the 16 Point Agreement which gave birth to Article 371 (A) and whereas today, he blatantly maintains that Article 371(A) protects the Nagas even from a contentious subject like the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

The NPF Party shall never forget the grievous agenda of Neiphiu Rio, now or even in the distant future. This is because of the fact that the Nagas cannot allow him to mislead the Naga people any further. He stated that Naga Integration was not possible while also maintaining that any Naga talking against Article 371(A) is a traitor to the Nagas. The Chief Minister chair is not and shall not be permanent and as such, marketing of the Naga cause at the expense of the Naga Political issue will not sustain itself. History will never forget Neiphiu Rio for marketing the Naga cause for the Chief Minister’s chair.

Neiphiu Rio’s unnecessary dig at the NPF Party in putting up a Candidate for the Lok Sabha election is nothing but a matter of amusement since it is an internal affair of the NPF Party where Rio does not have any role to play. The NPF Party is capable of handling its own affairs and will bring the matter to the public domain with the right explanation at the right time.

2. Y. Patton was the Camp Commander, not only during the camping at Kaziranga but during every crisis which he exploited by bargaining for better position. The shameless hypocrisy of the person, who did not bother about progress or development but is rather a champion in corruption and backdoor appointment, was in full public display at DDSC Stadium on March 19.

The track record of Patton who ditched his leaders under successive Governments of Neiphiu Rio, TR Zeliang and Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu is for all to see. Under Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu in 2017, he continued with the same portfolio and deceitfully backed TR Zeliang even as he tried again for change of guard recently in December 2018 where he misfired. Prior to this, Patton had betrayed BJP Party by merging with NPF Party under Rio’s leadership while today he is displaying his loyalty to the BJP. No one can predict where he will shift if BJP loses the upcoming Lok Sabha Election.

He was cursing Rio for all those turbulent days created within the NPF Party and today he is praising Rio as a tall leader because he has been made the Dy. CM with additional portfolio of Home and National Highway.

Nevertheless, Patton was elected on BJP ticket and the Party failed at the centre, he immediately resigned as BJP MLA and joined the ruling NPF Party and went for by-election with NPF ticket. This is the true leader of this so-called BJP leader who will move to any ruling Party when his Party fails to remain in power. He can talk about PDA achievement under the Department of Home and National Highway but if he mocks the previous Government, everything he spoke against his master Rio will be revealed in detail. Patton should remember what he had uttered because the memory of the Naga people is not as short as he expects it to be.

Issued by:
Press Bureau,
Naga People’s Front,
Central Headquarters,
Kohima: Nagaland.