KOHIMA, May 6 – NSCN (IM) today refuted allegations that the outfit was involved in the election process in Nagaland but admitted that its cadre might take part in the electioneering at their individual capacity to support or oppose any contending candidate, reports PTI. Large-scale proxy voting, intimidation of voters marked Wednesday’s Lok Sabha polling in the State recording voters turnout at 80 to 85 per cent with Opposition Congress alleging that NSCN (IM) activists were threatening villagers to vote for ruling alliance candidate in the run up to the poll and the polling day.
In a statement issued by its Information and publicity wing, NSCN (IM) asserted that “officially the organisation and its government are not involved nor have interferred in any Indian election whether Assembly or Parliament.” But conceded that some of its ‘national workers’ (underground cadre) might have spoken or written for or against Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) candidate Wangyuh Konyak or Congress contender K Asungba Sangtam in their own capacities as such cases could not be ruled.
However, such incidents or cases should not be made an issue as the organisation could not be blamed if some of its cadre erred, the statement asserted, adding if the allegations were found true and proven it has ‘machineries’ to correct and punish the errant cadre. Claiming that it harboured no ill-feeling towards any political party, be it Congress, BJP or Janata Dal or any party leaders, NSCN(IM), however, expressed displeasure over what it described as “anti-Naga activities of some Naga politicians.”
NSCN (IM) has criticised Asungba Sangtam for not uttering a single sentence or statement on the Naga political issue in Parliament since this has been an important agenda for the Naga people, the statement said. “This is, as we understand, is the cardinal point for which the naga people are reluctant to support him,” NSCN(IM) asserted.
The outfit also took strong exception to Nagaland Finance minister K Therie’s reported statement that no single underground group could claim to represent the entire naga people while negotiating with the Government of India for a permanent solution to the vexed naga problem.