The Congress on Monday accused the Rio coalition government of betraying the “kind and trusting people of Nagaland” in the name of development.

At the press conference held at Congress Bhavan in Kohima, Mahima Singh, AICC Spokesperson, said that the UDA rule has been marred by “scams after scams” but focussed mainly on the Nagaland High Court scam.

Singh said that in 2007 when the Congress was ruling in Delhi, “necessary amendments were made to the Constitution, effected in 2012, wherein arrangements were made for the High Courts – independent High Courts – to be granted to the states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur.”

The same year the foundation stones were laid and in 2013, while the complexes in the other states were inaugurated, in Kohima, “the basic structure was just starting to come along”, the AICC Spokesperson said.

She claimed that till date about 70 crores worth sanctions have been made against the project, of which 22.24 crores was for the judges’ bungalows when the areas had not even been allocated. 44.24 crores were further withdrawn for the electrification and water supply of the building “which was nowhere to be seen”, Singh added.

The Congress alleged that CM Rio’s government continues to siphon public money while he and his close allies face interrogation at the Enforcement Directorate.

Calling the High Court scam “the gateway of Operation Lotus in Delhi”, the party spokesperson warned that the BJP expands in the state it will be “the gateway for sabotaging of the fundamental rights that the Constitution guaranteed to the people of this country, to the people of Nagaland”.

The party also said that the state is immersed in 90 percent corruption because of the Rio government “blackmailed by BJP”.