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NDA wants to destabilise Northeast: Congress
Onkar Singh in New Delhi |
July 29, 2003 12:39 IST
Last Updated: July 29, 2003 13:01 IST
Congress spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy on Tuesday accused the National Democratic Alliance government of trying to destabilise Northeast.
NDA convener and Defence Minister George Fernandes was responsible for engineering defections in the ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh and sealing the fate of the Mukut Mithi government, he told rediff.com in New Delhi.
"George Fernandes, with the help of the NSCN (I-M), is playing the game of toppling Congress governments in Northeast. His first target, of course, was Arunachal Pradesh. If they continue to do this the entire Northeast would be up in flames soon," Reddy said.
Asked if these moves were part of achieving 'Greater Nagaland' for the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), which has been negotiating with the Centre for the past two years, he said it was too premature to say anything.
"I am not aware if any accord between the Government of India and NSCN is on cards," he added.
BJP parliamentary spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra denied the allegations.
"Now that their government has fallen in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress leaders are making allegations against George Fernandes and the ruling NDA, and even the BJP. They are giving expression to their frustration, as they could not save their chief minister," he said.
Meanwhile, Gegong Apang, who formed the United Democratic Front Alliance with the help of 41 rebel legislators from the Congress, spent the night in Hotel Bomdilla in Itanagar. The rebels were also with him.
Apang, a former chief minister himself, met Governor Vinod Pandey on Monday and staked claim to form government.
The governor, who had asked Apang to parade the MLAs before him, was expected to take a decision on Apang's claim shortly.
He could convene the assembly and ask Mithi to prove majority on the floor of the House.
S P Bhutia, an associate of Apang, told rediff.com: "We are awaiting the decision of His Excellency (governor)."