As the campaigning for the February 27 Nagaland Assembly ended on Sunday, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) made a fervent appeal to the people of Nagaland not to make the mistake of going after “somebody” who will be shown the door in the 2019 general elections.
Addressing a press conference at Dimapur, AICC general secretary and Congress in-charge for Nagaland elections Dr Jayakumar stressed that Nagaland should not be “saffronised” at any cost. “Nagaland should not be a place for sale,” he stated.
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He was referring to the BJP who, he said, will be ousted from power at the Centre in the next general elections.
“If they (BJP) win in this Christian-dominated state, it will amount to accepting Hidutva,” Jayakumar said and urged the Naga people not to be “saleable commodities”
“If anyone votes for BJP, it is only for money,” he felt while asking the Naga people to note that BJP is out to saffronise the state.
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Referring to Prime Minister Narendar Modi’s slogan “transportation for transformation” at Tuensang rally on February 22 Jayakumar said the slogan actually means “transportation for saffronisation”.
The AICC leader alleged Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP chief ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio has committed the “gravest sin of his life” by bringing in the saffron party to Nagaland. “Rio is pouring water for BJP to grow in Nagaland,” he added.
He also mentioned about Rio’s letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2008 where he boasted that he had uprooted BJP from Nagaland.
Taking cognizance of Modi’s address at Tuensang rally, Jayakumarsaid he expected the PM to announce the deadline for the Naga talks to conclude and apologise to the Naga people for imposing the elections on them before the Naga solution. Instead, he said the talks are going on and more groups are participating in it, putting no deadline to end the talks, Jayakumar said.
He also spoke of Modi’s call to Sonia Gandhi on August 3, 2015 when he proudly told the then Congress president that the Naga problem has been resolved.
“He only keeps talking but does not do anything in reality,” the senior Congress leader stated.
Jayakumar also wondered that none of the projects announced by Modi at Tuensang is included in the Union budget which has already been submitted.
The AICC general secretary called Modi a “master bluffer” who is shedding crocodile tears for Nagaland.
Jayakumar also said Modi has no locus standi to talk about corruption as he has “specialized” in the subject, citing the example of demonatisation, Rs 14,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam, Rafale deal and so on. He added that the PM talking about rooting out corruption is not acceptable.
The senior Congress leader also exuded confidence that the Congress party will surely win eight seats out the 18 it is contesting in Nagaland while the party has 70 percent chances of winning in four more seats. He also added the Congress will be a partner of the next government in Nagaland and work for development of every district as per its manifesto.