'Centre in no mood to impose Prez Rule in Nagaland'

Kohima, Dec 21: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has asserted that the Centre was in no mood to impose President's Rule in the state as the people wanted a stable democratic government.

Speaking at a press conference here yesterday after returning from New Delhi, the Chief Minister said he had gone to the national capital to attend the North Eastern Council (NEC) and National Development Council (NDC) meetings.

''However, when the Congress and defected NPF members met President Pratibha Patil, I was compelled to meet the Central leaders, including Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, to clarify my party's position during the Congress-sponsored No Confidence Motion in the Legislative Assembly on December 13,'' Mr Rio said.

He said in order to justify his ruling, the Speaker had also submitted reports of some of the legal experts of the country to the Central leaders and apprised them of the legal validity of the proceedings in the House.

Mr Rio said the Central leaders, including the Left parties, were convinced of the opinions of the legal experts, following which, they were not in any mood to change the political scenario in Nagaland.

Replying to a query about two NPF legislators, who had defied the Whip in the Assembly on December 13, he said process was on to disqualify the members from the House and notices had been served to the Legislators.

He also alleged that the newly formed Congress-led Nagaland Progressive Alliance (NPA) was illegal as it included defected members from the Nagaland Peoples' Front (NPF), a major alliance of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN).

UNI