NEW DELHI, Aug 7 - Keeping up an aggressive posture, three Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, calling for details of the NSCN(I-M) peace agreement, said that they would not seek appointment with the Prime Minister if he keeps ignoring them.
The Congress party got all the three Chief Ministers, including Tarun Gogoi, Nabam Tuki and O Ibobi Singh, to come to Delhi to hold consultations with the party high command to discuss the issue and later address a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters.
Earlier, the three Chief Ministers met party vice president Rahul Gandhi this afternoon and deliberated on the Modi government�s reluctance to share details of the peace accord signed on Monday.
The Chief Ministers were peeved with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her statement that the three Chief Ministers had boycotted a meeting on the issue convened by the Prime Minister last month.
�What is most dismaying is that the government is misleading the nation. The three Chief Ministers were invited to attend a meeting of the NITI Aayog on the Land Bill. As the Chief Ministers were opposed to the Land Bill they boycotted the meeting,� AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
Alleging gross violation of the principles of cooperative federalism, the Congress spokesman alleged that even the Home Ministry was unaware about the details of the Naga peace agreement. The Home Secretary has written to the PMO seeking details of the agreement, which has been described by the Prime Minister as historic.
�Even his Cabinet is unaware about the details of the Agreement,� Surjewala charged.
Replying to questions, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said they are not going to seek any appointment with the Prime Minister if he keeps ignoring them. �It is violation of the principles of democracy. How can an interlocutor, RN Ravi sign an agreement on behalf of the Government of India? He does not represent the Government of India,� he argued.
�The Prime Minister, as well as Muivah must clarify whether NSCN(I-M) has given up its demand for Nagalim. Why is the Government of India keeping such an important document a secret. We demand that all contents of the agreement be made public,� Gogoi said.
When the historic agreement was announced, it caught us by surprise, said Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, adding that he immediately called up Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking details but got no clear answer. He (Rajnath Singh) said he would lay the details of the agreement in Parliament, but so far he hasn�t done it, he said.
Stating that he is all for a permanent solution to the NSCN problem, Ibobi Singh said Manipur cannot sacrifice its territory for a lasting solution. �Over 90 per cent of geographical territory will go. We cannot accept it and we will fight if a single inch of territory is given,� the Chief Minister said.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said that Modi had called up Chief Ministers of other States but forgot to call them. �Such fast decision-making will bring troubles and stress relations between the Centre and the States,� he said.
