DIMAPUR, Jan 6 – Facing an open rebellion by more than 20 NPF legislators, Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has sacked two Cabinet Ministers and six Parliamentary Secretaries with immediate effect.

Governor PB Acharya has accepted and approved the removal of Cabinet Ministers G Kaito Aye and Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu with immediate effect, an official release said today.

The six sacked Parliamentary Secretaries are Pohwang Konyak – Fire & Emergency Services, Relief & Rehabilitation, Pukhayi – Sericulture & Cooperation, Shetoyi – Fisheries, Zhalheo Rio – Urban Development, and Tovihoto Ayemi – Science & Technology, Information Technology & Communication, Technical Education and Taxation, all from NPF and N Thomas Ngullie (Ind) – Women Development & Border Affairs.

Majority of the NPF legislators, at a meeting in Dimapur on Monday, unanimously elected Kaito Aye as the new leader of NPF Legislature Party and empowered him to form the new government.

In view of this, the NPF legislators have appealed to the NPF party leadership “to allow inner democracy to take place and let the will of the majority prevail, as was the case in the previous change of guard when Noke had selflessly withdrawn his candidature in the greater interest of the unity of the NPF party”, according to a release issued by Imkong Imchen, Spokesperson, NPF Legislature Party.

Expressing utmost concern for the unity of the NPF, the house made it clear that the present exercise was not anti-party in any manner but only a move for change of leadership. The meeting also decided to appoint Imkong Imchen as the spokesperson of the NPF Legislature Party.

The NPF Legislature Party further assured the people of Nagaland that it will form a stable DAN Government under the presidentship of NPF president Dr Shürhozelie along with a positive partnership with the NDA Government at the Centre in order to strengthen the peace process and bring about an early solution to the Indo-Naga political issue along with allround development of the State.

In another development, the two MPs from the State, Neiphiu Rio and Khekiho Zhimomi, have extended support to the majority view of the legislators.

In a release today, Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio and Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi said, “We, the two MPs, representing the State of Nagaland in Delhi also extend our support to the majority view of the legislators.”

They said the majority of NPF legislators have collectively decided to change the leadership of the present Ministry and that they have all signed letters of support in favour of Kaito Aye to lead the NPF Legislature Party and the DAN Government.

“We appeal to the party men and women to remain calm and united and allow the inner party democracy of the legislators to prevail,” the MPs stated.