Nagaland Polls:::It's time for hurling charges between NPF & Congress
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Dimapur, February 21 2013: Just two days away for Nagaland to go to the polls but hurling of serious allegations between the two main rivals--the Congress party and the Naga People's Front (NPF) --have snowballed.

Nagaland Congress party stalwart and former chief minister SC Jamir has allegedly wrote a letter to Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to serve an ultimatum to the NSCN-IM as to whether the outfit is interested in the peace talks for the final solution or the Naga outfit prefers to participate in the ensuing Nagaland assembly elections.

On the other hand, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu told media today in Kohima that the Congress party 'high command' using Central forces and Central agencies to work against the NPF while favouring the Congress party.

"Congress leaders from Delhi are landing at will in Nagaland by using chartered planes and choppers without taking permission or informing the state government.

These leaders are also dropping money in huge amounts in different undisclosed places," alleged Neiphiu Rio.

The Nagaland chief minister also alleged that the Assam Rifles are at their best these days flexing their muscles to work against the NPF candidates as they are being directed to do so from the Centre.

Meanwhile, Congress party leader S.C Jamir in his purported letter to the Union Home Minister has said that Neiphiu Rio and NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah are working hand in hand while hoodwinking the Naga society by using the solving of Naga political problem as their sole bait.

"The de facto authority is the collective leadership of the NSCN-IM, whereas, the elected government of Nagaland plays the second fiddle in governance.

It is most tragic and most dangerous that the elected government under the Constitution had to run the administration on the fiat of a secessionist organisation, i.e.the NSCN-IM.

The policy of the NPF is equi-closeness and in pursuance of this policy Neiphiu Rio, the Chief Minister of Nagaland had gone out of the way to embrace Th.Muivah, the general secretary of NSCN-IM, and in the process the Chief Minister himself was compelled to enter the bandwagon of the NSCN-IM and thereby losing his declared policy and the party's identity," said S.C Jamir's purported letter addressed to Sushil Kumar Shinde.

S.C Jamir then urged the Union Home Minister that security forces should be fully empowered to strictly enforce the cease fire ground rules and also to sanitise all the vulnerable areas by constantly patrolling around all the designated camps.

S.C Jamir in his letter said that this is to counter the game plan of Neiphiu Rio and the NSCN-IM.

Meanwhile, the Naga People's Front (NPF) in a press communiqu� has alleged today that the AR are continuing to work at the behest of the UPA government in favour of the Congress party.

"The Assam Rifles are under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

However, operationally they are now placed under the command of the Army, and they are mostly used for counter-insurgency operations in NE region and these Assam Rifles have not been vested with police function under the Criminal Procedure Code or any other law.

They are vested with some powers under the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSP), 1958, but these are to be used only in connection with counter-insurgency operations.

Further, they have no policing power in connection with conduct of elections or enforcement of Model Code of Conduct during elections, except to the extent of providing environmental security from possible threats by insurgents", the NPF said.

The NPF then said that in spite of the above legal position; the Assam Rifles have been extensively used for performing policing functions, during the present election campaigns, most probably on the specific instructions from the MHA, GOI.

Such policing functions have been exercised by AR in the most partisan manner only against the NPF candidates.

We believe that the interception of NPF Candidates namely H.Nyemli Phom and Imkong L.Imchen by AR personnel were not a chance encounter but were carefully planned operations, based on the feedbacks from their wide network of intelligence.

Even yesterday the 20th February 2013, the AR at Chizami, led by Major Kaushik, F-Coy, 11 AR Pfutsero had the guts to search the personal luggage of Kuzholuzo, Minister of Nagaland and Deo Nukhu, MLA who are NPF Candidates from Phek, while they were in the Chizami Inspection Bungalow without any search warrant.

Even the small sum of money in their possession was seized.

But later on, perhaps realising their mistake or on instruction from the higher up, the money was returned to the candidate.

When the AR Major was questioned by the NPF candidates on what authority they searched the baggage of the VIPs, he replied, that it was done on the authority of Election Commission of India.

But on our query, the CEO Nagaland had confirmed that the Election Commission has not given any authority or duty to the Assam Rifles in connection with the enforcement of Election Code of Conduct.

"On 21st February, 2013, personnel of the 29 Assam Rifles had seized huge amounts of money from the vehicle of Khekaho Assumi, the Congress candidate under 32 Akuluto a/c near Sema Settsu.

He was released by the AR team without handing over to the civil authorities and without informing the election observers.

Later, the brother of the candidate Er.

Nikato Assumi was also apprehended with huge amount of money by the same Assam Rifles team but was released without any procedure.

These incidents clearly expose the biased nature of the Assam Rifles who are obviously working at the behest of their higher authorities in favour of the Congress," the NPF note alleged.

It also alleged that the NPF party knows that the Congress Party is spending more money than the NPF.

All the Central Congress leaders, who had come to Nagaland for Election Campaign, are bringing lots of cash for the party, but none of them, or State Congress leaders were even frisked, or checked by the Assam Rifles.

In fact, the Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde had deliberately changed his landing schedules at various locations in Nagaland in order to avoid possible frisking by the State Police at the Helipads, which is quite unbecoming of a VVIP of his position.

"Thus the entire election process in the current election in Nagaland is vitiated by the unauthorised interferences by the Assam Rifles in the election campaign, much against the principles of democratic election law and procedures.

The electorates in Nagaland are hereby informed about this sinister design of the Central Government in using Assam Rifles for partisan purposes and against the NPF Candidates.

The Nagas, who remember the political history of subjugation and humiliation by Central forces will stoutly reject this unholy design with all their might and give them a befitting reply through the ballot box," the NPF stated in its press communiqu� today.

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