Imphal, June 14: The NSCN (K) has banned the United Naga Council (UNC) sponsored June 16 rally in four hill districts of Manipur and the 24 hour bandh call given by the same body on June 21 to protest the State Government's decision to declare June 18 as a State holiday.

Speaking to newspersons somewhere at Senapati today a spokesperson of the NSCN (K) announced the ban on the rallies and the bandh and charged the IM group of scheming the rallies and bandh through the UNC.

Stating that the main objective of the NSCN (IM) is to create divisions amongst the people living peacefully in the State and strain the atmosphere of cordiality in the multi-community society, the spokesperson called upon the general public not to participate in the rally.

Accusing the UNC of being a puppet body of the NSCN (IM), the spokesperson maintained that any untoward incident that occurs in connection with the rally or the bandh would be the sole responsibility of the UNC.

He further questioned why the rally projected as �Naga Unification� process be confined to the four hill districts alone as Imphal, Bishnupur, thoubal and Churachandpur districts are also home to many Naga people.

Continuing the tirade against the rival group, the spokesperson ridiculed the frequent claims of the IM leadership that the peace process is progressing positively and charged that in the eight years of peace talks with the Government of India there is hardly any sign to substantiate any claim of appreciable achievements.

In fact the NSCN (IM) has been misleading the Naga people through misinformation campaign of �progress� in the ongoing talks but has compromised the interest and aspiration of Naga sovereignty movement for the last fifty years by pursuing Naga Integration process at the current juncture, the spokesperson alleged.

With the IM leaderships enjoying the luxury of five star hotels in the name of peace-talks with New Delhi, the peace process has not been able to lessen the hardships of the Naga public as factional guns continue to boom in various pockets in addition to mental and physical despair due to security force atrocities, he claimed.

Referring to IM general secretary Th Muivah assuring the Naga people at Camp Hebron of favourable development out of the peace talks next month, the K group spokesperson urged the public leaders and NGOs to grasp the beguiling tactics of the IM leaderships.

Stressing that no organisation should attempt to drive wedge in the multi-ethnic society like Manipur he reiterated appeal to the Naga people against taking part in the proposed rally or endorse the 24 hour bandh.