Sonia, Rahul flay failure to consult states on Naga pact

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government for failing to consult the chief ministers of three northeastern states before signing the Naga peace accord.

"We are really shocked that the prime minister (Narendra Modi) didn't even think of taking into confidence the chief ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh which are the directly affected states," Sonia Gandhi told reporters in parliament complex.

"It is the arrogance on the part of this government. How can an accord be signed without consulting the chief ministers that are directly affected even if the accord is being termed as historic?" she asked.

"I have no doubt that it may be historic, but what about consulting our chief ministers?

"Their arrogance is now even more clear. It is not just an insult to the chief ministers but to people of the states and the federal structure of the country."

Rahul Gandhi termed the government's move to sign the pact with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) an "insult" to the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh as they were not even informed about it.

"It's an insult to every single citizen in these three states and it's an insult to the people of India the way this government works," he said.

The central government and the NSCN-IM on Monday signed the agreement, capping 20 years of peace process that began in 1997 when the group signed a ceasefire pact with New Delhi.

The NSCN-IM has in the past advocated the creation of a Greater Nagaland by slicing off parts of Naga inhabited areas in the neighbouring states.

The provisions of the Naga accord have not been made public yet.