AIZAWL: The Mizo National Front (MNF), an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, has made it clear that the party won’t work as per the “whims” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“As we are a part of the NDA, we can bark at them from inside and just because we are an ally of the BJP through the NDA does not mean that we will function merely at the whims of Narendra Modi. There are no other political parties like the MNF who dare to go against Modi,” said the Chief Minister of Mizoram and president of the party, Zoramthanga, addressing party workers at the MNF party office, Hnam Run, in Aizawl on August 11.
Reiterating that MNF’s support to the BJP-led NDA is only an issue-based stance, Zoramthanga highlighted how the party’s lone Lok Sabha MLA, C Lalrosanga, supported the Opposition’s no-confidence motion in the parliament on Friday as the party is dissatisfied with the Centre’s handling of the Manipur issue.
“There are two rival blocks at the Centre. One is the UPA led by Congress and the other is NDA led by BJP. We can’t be part of the Congress led UPA. We take part in the NDA on issue-based. Whether we support the NDA or not depends on an issue,” he said.
In the past, the MNF, despite being in the NDA, had often taken a stand against the policies of the Centre. Be it the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act or the bid to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country, the party had strongly opposed both and had written to PM Modi clarifying its opposition to latter.
The deportment of Myanmarese refugees from Mizoram is another issue where the MNF have defied the Centre’s directive and provided them shelter in the state. “While we ask for fund to the tune of Rs 10 crore from the Centre as humanitarian assistance to the Myanmar refugees, who are our kindred brothers, the central government gave only Rs 3 crore,” he said.
Highlighting how the Centre had provided humanitarian aid to millions of refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan during 1970-71, Zoramthanga said that the Mizoram government is doing the same and the Centre shouldn’t object that. He reiterated that the MNF stands firm on its motto of “for God and Mizo nation” and will continue to do so in the future.
