The ruling NDPP) on Wednesday termed the recent statements of NPF Legislature Party (NPFLP) and the Nagaland Congress that the Nagaland government publicly humiliated governor RN Ravi as “absolutely ridiculous”.
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) said it was an obvious attempt on the part of the NPFLP and Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) to mar the cordial relationship between the governor and the state government.
Expressing surprise at the NPFLP statement, the NDPP, in a statement, pointed out that the NPF organised a “Beef Party” in 2017 and audaciously invited the then governor PB Acharya to participate in the feast.
But the PDA government holds the governor and his august office in high esteem and sincerely respects his suggestions and contributions on several fronts, the ruling party said.
On the law and order front, the NDPP asked the NPFLP to think back of those weeks in 2017 when the entire state rose against its “ill-conceived decisions” resulting in deaths of innocents and razing to the ground iconic and vintage buildings in the state capital, Kohima.
The party also described the NPFLP’s statement on the Indo-Naga political issue as shocking as it was devoid of any political stand or clarity.
It said the civil society organisations, mass-based bodies, student organisations, NGOs and even individuals came out openly on the political issue while the NPF decided to remain silent.
“This speaks volumes of the state of affairs in the NPF party and political disintegration of a party that claims to be the oldest regional party,” the statement said.
The NDPP clarified that the recent statement of the state government was not about rhetoric or confrontation in any manner and all ranks and file of the party stand by it.
“It was a mature and straightforward statement that was based on facts and accurate data, unlike the rhetoric of the NPF and the NPCC,” it said.
The party said the state government has rightly stated that the present situation is much improved in comparison to the earlier decades.
“Today there is relative peace and harmony,” it said while pointing out that in the past, especially in the 1990s, chief ministers, VIPs, bureaucrats, civil society leaders and entrepreneurs, were targeted randomly and factional clashes and shootouts were almost a daily affair.
The statement said the NDPP’s plank was always to restore the system of misgovernance and instil an era of transparency based on meritocracy while combating the challenges of favouritism and nepotism.
The NDPP also rejected the demand of the NPF for the PDA government to step down.