Congress demands Nagaland CM's resignation over graft charges

KOHIMA: With just over a month left for the state assembly polls, the Congress has accused the Neiphiu Rio-led Nagaland coalition government of siphoning public money, and demanded the chief minister's resignation on moral grounds following a probe of his allies.

"CM Rio should've resigned on moral grounds as his govt siphons public money while CM Rio & his many allies face ED interrogation. Because of Rio govt, Ops Lotus could find its roots in Nagaland, it'll be worse if they're allowed to expand," said Mahima Singh, the media coordinator of AICC on Monday addressing the media in the state capital.

She highlighted the fact that while Nagaland's High Court building, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Congress in 2007, still awaits completion, the buildings of Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura HCs were completed in 2013.

"Although financial sanctions worth 70 crore have been made by Rio's Coalition Government till date, the high court building is still nowhere to be seen," she said.

Singh alleged if the coalition returns then draconian laws like the Citizenship Amendment Act and Uniform Civil Code may be imposed upon the innocent people of Nagaland, which are bound to trample upon their fundamental rights.

Claiming that the High Court Scam has become a major opportunity for Operation Lotus in Nagaland, she alleged that the BJP could blackmail the extremely corrupt Rio government over this.

Mahima said, "The kind trusting people of Nagaland that were already being cheated upon by the Rio coalition government, now their own chosen representatives are being blackmailed by the Centre as the corrupt ways of the Rio government has put the state in the most vulnerable spot today with Nagaland emerging at the top with 90 per cent corruption, while the rate of corruption elsewhere is 40 to 50 per cent."

With the state assembly elections scheduled for February 27, the AICC Media Coordinator alleged that it is Rio's politics of corruption, malaise, deceit and opportunism that the people of Nagaland must defeat in 2023 by voting out the NDPP and its blackmailer allies (BJP) to save Nagaland from becoming like Assam, Manipur, Goa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

With no women legislators in the state over the last 20 years, she hoped that if Congress came to power, there will be more inclusivity for women and assured that her party will fight hard for the people of Nagaland.