In what might further deteriorate the situation in Nagaland, the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) has set a deadline for all the MlAs to withdraw support to State Chief Minister TR Zeliang on or before February 17.
The development took place after the NTAC and JCC, who had been steering the oust Zeliang movement in the troubled State, met on Tuesday and unanimously decided to set the deadline for the MlAs. The two organisations has also threatened that the tribal bodies would debar the MlAs from entering their respective areas in the next election if the MlAs do not comply with the diktat.
“We have also asked all the apex tribal bodies to ask their respective representatives to follow the decision,” said an NTAC representative while talking to The Pioneer on Wednesday.
The tribal bodies under the banner of NTAC and JCC had earlier set a deadline of February 11 and demanded Chief Minister Zeliang to resign owning moral responsibility for the killing of two youths in police firing on January 31 in Dimapur.
Nagaland Chief Minister Zeliang, however, did not resign and said that he has the support of all the 58 legislators in the 60 member House. Following the Chief Minister, Speaker of the Nagaland legislative Assembly had also said that he had not received anything in writing from the MlAs withdrawing their support from Zeliang as the leader of the House.
“We also like to warn the State Government and Governor of the State that despite all efforts to maintain calm, the volunteers were losing patient. In the event of any eventuality the Government and the Governor would be held responsible,” they said.
Although the Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) led Government in Nagaland led by Chief Minister Zeliang had been trying hard to convince the agitators, the agitating organisations have made it clear that they are not accepting anything except the resignation of Zeliang.
The hill State particularly its capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur had been witnessing hostilities since January 31 after police fired at some irate mob opposing the Government’s decision to hold the Urban local body polls on February 1 that led to killing of two youths in
police firing in Dimapur and injury of over a dozen.