The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has on Saturday issued a statement where it has given clarifications “with reference to a recent news article articulating” former state minister and former PCC president K Therie’s take on Member of Parliament and PCC President, S, Supongmeren Jamir’s maidan speech in the Lok Sabha on 30th July 2024.
On K Therie’s view that there was no need for a Congress MP to back the Chiethu Airport, a pet project of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the NPCC has stated that it has no relevance as Jamir never mentioned any particular site for the airport in his speech. It also praised the MP for rising above politics and making a bipartisan demand for the development of an airport in Kohima in greater public interest, “which incidentally is also in line with the Government of India’s goal of achieving cent percent air connectivity of all the state capitals in the Nation.”
“Moreover, we strongly believe that raising developmental issues of collective interest is in no way a dilution of the Naga Political Issue, and we see no reason why the two issues can’t be addressed simultaneously,” NPCC stated.
Read more: MP SS Jamir demands early implementation of Agreements signed with Naga groups
The Party also defended the MP’s statement on the Naga political issue and said that with the amount of time alloted to him, “he had clearly and sufficiently spelt out the long cherished cries of the people of Nagaland for a final negotiated settlement between the Government of India and the Naga Political Groups.”
Acknowledging that one single speech might not be enough to cover all of the pressing issues, NPCC stated that Jamir’s maiden speech “has clearly reaffirmed and set the tenor of our Hon’ble MP’s unwavering commitment in representing the Voice of the People of Nagaland in the coming days.”
Further, the NPCC urged Therie “to refrain from confusing the People on the official stance of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee on important issues like the Naga Political Peace Process and other Developmental issues of public interest.”
