Kohima, November 16 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has ‘rejected’ Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s recent statement terming the opposition party’s dissent to the extra tax levied on petroleum products as ‘barking.’
“His comment is nothing but a sheer sign of arrogance or maybe he is exhausted with other words to defend himself,” the NPF stated in a communiqué on Monday.
The NPF questioned how the Chief Minister could “behave like a dictator and trying to shut the mouth of the opposition party for opposing his Government ‘cruel decision,’” and claimed that the tax hike was a ‘new formula to extract the suffering public money’ after the failure of the COVID Cess.
“It is a known fact that, every state is running through difficult times due to the pandemic but the Government has no right to drain the public pocket at the cost of their livelihood. There are many ways and means where the Government can regain its deficit but not through the right of the people to food and shelter,” the communiqué stated.
The NPF maintained that the Naga public cannot be carried away with Rio’s statement that the petroleum prices in Nagaland are lower than other neighbouring states and reiterated its demand for the extra tax to be rolled back immediately.
