Kohima, Feb 6 (PTI) The Congress on Monday claimed that the people of Nagaland had trusted the Narendra Modi government at the Centre to solve their problems, but their hopes have dashed as no measure was taken in that direction over the past eight years.
Addressing a press meet, Pawan Khera, the media and publicity department chairperson of All India Congress Committee, also stated that Chief Minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio "had brought the BJP to the state", and together, the two parties have been responsible for "maladministration" in Nagaland.
The NDPP has entered into a seat-sharing pact with the BJP for Nagaland assembly polls, scheduled to be held on February 27. Votes will be counted on March 2.
"It is sad that Nagaland had trusted someone in Delhi to remove AFSPA and solve other problems, but none of that happened in the last eight and a half years. People had believed what they were told, but their hopes dashed," Khera said, in a veiled reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Khera noted that Modi had announced in 2019 the final settlement to the Naga peace talks would be made in a few months, "but years have passed since then with no solution in sight".
He appealed to people to vote wisely by taking into account the "unfulfilled promises" of Rio, PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"These are all fake assurances...The BJP and RSS are known for making such false promises," he said, adding that Modi and Shah "thrive on divisive policies, fault lines and conflict".
The Congress leader urged people to vote for its candidates, as "our party has a very constructive manifesto and will fulfil every single word of it".
Of the 60 seats in the state, the grand old party is contesting 27.
He stressed that it was "time to put an end to the Rio-led government" in the state.
Asked if the Congress is planning to collaborate with other parties, Khera asserted that the final decision on such matters will be left to its local leaders.
The Congress is currently bereft of any MLA in the 60-member House. It had last won eight seats in 2013, but the MLAs had later joined the Naga People's Front. PTI NBS RMS RMS
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)