Kohima, June 15: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio denied of having said to any news agency during his stay in Delhi that the NSCN (IM) had dropped �Naga sovereignty� demand.

Addressing a press conference here at his official residence after the crucial meeting of the Consultative Committee for Peace (CCP) today, the Chief Minister categorically said, �I am nobody to talk about or pursue for Naga sovereignty.� �This is not my subject matter,� he added.

�We have no role to support or not to support the demand of the Naga sovereignty,� Rio explained, �But our DAN Government�s stand is to support the demand of the Naga integration which was passed four times in Nagaland Assembly.� On the contrary, it was SC Jamir who was persistently insisting that the NSCN (IM) should demand nothing less than a �sovereignty of the Nagas,� Rio pointed out.

Interestingly, on the sudden change of guard at the Center, he (Jamir) started putting �pre-conditions� in their (northeast Congress leaders) confidential document for the ongoing political talks which had been held without any pre-condition over the years, the Chief Minister stated.

He also recalled as how Jamir had sabotaged the Naga peace process since early 60s when the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made efforts to resolve Naga political problems by meeting AZ Phizo, then President of the undivided Naga National Council (NNC).

It was he (Jamir) who tried his best to prevent Nehru from meeting Phizo at that point of time, the Chief Minister stated.

�I am not talking all these just because they are in oppositions (Congress) but explaining with the records available with us as to how he (Jamir) sabotaged Naga political process,� Rio alleged.

Prevention of Nehru from meeting Phizo, publishing of the Bedrock of Naga Society, the Confidential Document, etc.

were some of the records that could be judged as to whether Jamir was for Naga solution or not, the Chief Minister further added.

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