Congress demands release of Nagaland political prisoners to help peace process

KOHIMA: Congress has asked the Centre to release all Nagaland political prisoners to facilitate the ongoing Naga peace process.

"In order to facilitate the ongoing peace process, all political prisoners should be released as soon as possible," AICC member and former state Congress president KV Pusa said here today.

Congress is the first political party in the state to urge upon the Centre to release the Naga political prisoners. The Naga peace accord was signed on August 3 last between the Centre and NSCN(IM).

Pusa asked the Centre to be more transparent in the peace process so that all groups could be taken onboard.

Release of political prisoners would smoothen the process of confidence-building measures and give a fillip to the peace talks, he said.

On banning of the NSCN(K) for another five years, Pusa said the move would hamper the Centre's inclusive solution of the protracted Naga political issue.

"No Naga political group should be banned at this juncture, which will sabotage the peace process if the Centre is really looking for peace," he said.

Several Naga overground organisations have taken strong exception to the Centre's decision to ban the NSCN(K), which abrogated the ceasefire in March last.

Pusa also flayed the BJP-led NDA government of practicing double standards in dealing with the Naga political issue.