DIMAPUR, Oct 16: With regard to the reported interrogation of Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on some issue, the Rising People’s Party (RPP) said that it “expects more grillings in the days to come”.
“It is not surprising that the ED should interrogate the chief minister for 6 hours. This interrogation is not the last and we expect more grilling in the days to come,” the RPP said in a statement.
The RPP then said that “despite the NDPP table thumbing,” and their protests that the ED grilling the chief minister is fake news, there is no smoke without fire. Firstly, according to newspaper reports, the “army has declined to comment, which means that something is fishy,” the RPP added.
Secondly, according to the RPP, several months back the ED first interrogated 5 close confidants of chief minister Neiphiu Rio under Case No. ECIR/GWZO/09/2020/488, “and one of them was the personal assistant to the chief minister”. The RPP thus said that it was only natural that the chief minister himself should be interrogated.
While the question in everyone’s mind is whether the ED will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion or not, it is amply clear that the chief minister cannot escape the net cast by the ED, the RPP stated. The chief minister is now a ‘prisoner’ of the BJP and this will have intense ramifications for the State, the RPP added.
The RPP then said that it has come to the notice of the party (RPP) that the ED is also vigorously chasing 10 NDPP seating MLAs. “Speculation is rife that the ED has built up cases of corruption against the 10 MLAs. According to sources, these 10 MLAs may strike a bargain with the BJP to join the party. Similarly, given the aggressive pursuance of the case by the ED, the chief minister, too, joining the BJP cannot be ruled out either,” the RPP added.
The RPP then said that the NDPP is in a precarious position, “and there is absolutely nothing the party can do about it”. (NNN)
