Naga speaker unhappy with NE people not allowed to be near Xi

Kohima, Sep 23: Nagaland Assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo today expressed displeasure over reports that people of the northeastern region were allegedly asked to stay away from the hotel where Chinese president Xi Jinping stayed during his stay in Ahmedabad last week.

"It is very unfortunate to learn about such discrimination and segregation of the northeast people," Sazo said. The authorities had ordered workers of the hotel from the northeast region "not to come for work" during Jinping's stay. The Speaker also regretted the alleged exclusion of Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's name from the list of delegation to meet the Chinese president.

"If the union minister is discriminated in such a manner, how will the common men be treated," he said, adding, the people of the region should "strongly protest" such act. "East, West, South or North we are all Indians. Our colours may be different but we should stand for unity in diversity," Sazo said.

The Home Ministry yesterday directed the Intelligence Bureau to find out the veracity of the hotel authorities' 'order' and, if so, who issued it and why. Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had said, "It is an insult to the northeast. They doubted us as if we are not patriots. Are we not citizens of India? This is not good for the region."

PTI