Kohima, July 26 : The Nagaland PCC president has said that the Centre was taking a tough stand on the law and order situation in the state.
“The home minister had decided to deal with the law and order situation firmly,” said PCC chief K.V. Pusa.
Nineteen Congress legislators, who met home minister P. Chidambaram last evening in New Delhi, said the Centre would not allow criminal elements and terror outfits disturb law and order in Nagaland.
Pusa said Chidambaram had assured the Congress legislators that the Centre would do whatever necessary to repress the activities of terror elements in Nagaland.
“Meeting the home minister was fruitful,” the Nagaland PCC chief told The Telegraph from Delhi.
The Congress MLAs, supported by K. Hollohon, an Independent MLA, are meeting several central leaders to apprise them of the situation in the state.
They had already met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P. Chidambaram and other ministers of the UPA government and briefed them about the corruption in the state under chief minister Neiphiu Rio.
During their meetings with the central leaders, Nagaland Congress leaders appealed for accelerating the Naga peace process as well.
Recently, the home minister convened a meeting with Nagaland chief secretary Lalthara, director-general of police K. Kire and commissioner H.K. Khulu and directed them to be firm and resolute in dealing with terror elements which are hell-bent on creating an unpleasant situation in Nagaland. Chidambaram had also directed Nagaland officials to strictly enforce the ceasefire ground rules.
Sources said the home minister was not at all happy with the way the Nagaland government was dealing with law and order and the chief minister’s version of it.
Sources said Rio and Nagaland home minister Imkong L. Imchen had repeatedly stated that the ongoing spree of extortion and abduction of affluent businessmen is all because of the unresolved Naga political problem.
Rio had even told the state Assembly that the present prevailing situation in the state is political in nature and the Centre should not delay in solving the Naga problem in a manner acceptable to the people of Nagaland.
Imchen, however, said arrested Naga militants should not be treated like criminals, a comment that has irked the central leaders.