The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has accused the Nagaland Government of being unwilling to give “free hand” to the state police to tackle extortion and maintained that the police is more than capable to tackle the issue within a week’s time.

While condemning the death threat issued by NSCN-Khango group to a local contractor, the RPP, in a press release, criticised the NDPP/BJP coalition government for failing to uphold law and order in the state. It also slammed the Neiphiu Rio Government for shifting the responsibility of this matter to the Cease Fire Monitoring Group and Cease-Fire Supervisory Board, stating that “maintenance of law and order is a State Subject, not the outlook of CFMG/CFSB.”

The Party alleged that when the Government came to power in 2003, it “immediately unleashed its policy of ‘Equi-Closeness’ with all the factional groups” which “legitimized all the factions and their anti-people activities.” Noting how the number of factions has increased to 24, the RPP has further accused the Chief Minister of giving “operational freedom to the factions” “to cling on power unchallenged”.

Additionally, the Rising People’s Party reminded Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton that “you do not ‘request’ anti-social elements to refrain from anti-people activities – you arrest.”

Read more: Nagaland Govt condemns NSCN-Khango’s capital punishment to contractor