Recalling the 2008 elections in Nagaland, the chief minister said that two months to the elections, President's rule was imposed by creating decadence groups. “Is it for the good of the country? No, it is to protect the interest of the party,” Rio charged.
“They can afford to do this in a small state not with big ones because they can't play with big states,” he said.
Asked whether the NERPF would come up with a joint manifesto to raised common issues concerning all the NE states, Rio said “we will be basing our manifesto on a 17 point resolution taken up recently in Guwahati, Assam.” Rio is also a candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Nagaland.
The Armed Forces Special Power's Act (AFSPA) will continue to be one of the major issue to be taken up.
“The AFSPA was enforced specifically for Nagaland Hills because of the Naga political issue and this have been used elsewhere in the country, so we are always against this,” he said.
According to him, despite known as the biggest democracy in the world, “We are using the draconian laws where men in uniform and personnel can take law into their hands.” On security and safety of people from North East living in mainland India, the chief minister said that a government has to be pro-active.
On his opinion about the prime minister's candidatures of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, he said, “they may be the best people but the people will give the verdict and will all come to see.”
