Nagaland BJP chief accused of hampering peace process

A committee of the Naga National Political Groups said the State unit of the party is going against the stand of the BJP’s Central leaders.

An umbrella organisation of seven Naga extremist groups has slammed the Nagaland unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party for trying to scuttle the Naga peace process.

The Working Committee (WC) of the Naga National Political Groups said State BJP president, Temjen Imna Along Longkumer and his coterie were “greatly hampering” the progress and fruition of the ‘Indo-Naga’ political talks.

The WC said the State BJP leaders have been “playing with fire” by going against their Central leadership that is “trying its best to find permanent peace” for Nagaland through a political settlement with various Naga extremist groups.

Mr. Longkumer apparently miffed the WC by not giving its leaders an appointment sought on November 9 to discuss “crucial” matters.

“A man devoid of any principle, an opportunist and morally bankrupt, he is responsible for misleading the Naga people and betraying the BJP leadership in New Delhi,” the WC said in a statement, vowing not to let “such a man” represent the Nagas either in Kohima or in Delhi.

The WC said Mr. Longkumer “has fiddled with Naga political issue and played every dirty trick in the book to thwart the progress of Indo-Naga talks”. It added that the “treacherous” State BJP leadership “has deeply eroded the Naga people’s confidence”. The WC also reminded the State BJP of the fate of Congress in Nagaland.

“In 1998, Congress went against the wishes of the Naga people by going ahead with election instead of solution. They assumed power uncontested. They failed to honour the people’s demand and rather believed they had wiped out all other regional political parties in Nagaland. The Naga people responded by promptly showing them an exit door,” it said.