PM Modi's words don't mean anything: Rahul Gandhi on Naga peace accord

New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly elections in Nagaland, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Naga peace accord.

"August 2015, Mr Modi claims to create history by signing the NAGA accord. February 2018, Naga accord is still nowhere to be found. Modi ji is the first ever Indian PM whose words don't mean anything," he tweeted.

August 2015, Mr Modi claims to create history by signing the NAGA accord.

Feb 2018, Naga Accord is still nowhere to be found.

Modi ji is the first ever Indian PM whose words don't mean anything. #CantFindTheAccord — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 4, 2018

The official Twitter handle of the Congress also tweeted:

In 2015, PM Modi took credit for the so called 'historic' Naga accord. We haven't heard anything of it 3 years on. Is there even an accord? The people of India have a right to know what has been agreed to. #CantFindTheAccord pic.twitter.com/C40hbAWoWL — Congress (@INCIndia) February 4, 2018

On August 4, 2015, the Centre had inked a historic peace accord with Naga militant group NSCN(IM) in a bid to end insurgency in the northeastern state. The landmark peace agreement was signed in the presence of PM Modi at his official residence, 7, Race Course Road.

Thuingaleng Muivah had signed the peace accord with the government on behalf of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah).

The signing of the peace pact was the culmination of many rounds of negotiations that spanned 16 years with the first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed.

T Muivah, general secretary of the NSCN (IM), was one of the key leaders who had spearheaded the rebel movement in Nagaland.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday forged an alliance with newly floated Nationalist Democratic People's Party (NDPP) led by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio for the February 27, 2018, Assembly poll in the state.

It dumped its 15-year-old alliance partner, the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF).

NDPP will contest 40 of the 60 seats in the state Assembly while the BJP would field candidates in the remaining 20 seats. BJP is the only party till date to announce that it will contest the election.

Eleven parties including the ruling Naga People's Front on January 29, 2018, had decided not to contest the polls, agreeing to the demand of tribal bodies and civil society groups to resolve the protracted Naga political problem first.

Later, the BJP announced it would contest the polls. 

(With Agency inputs)