Zeliang quits as Nagaland CM, says Delhi wants Rio

February 20, 2017

Kohima, Feb 20: Bowing to the opponents of reservation for women in urban local bodies, Nagaland chief minister T R Zeliang resigned from office late on Sunday and called an emergency meeting of the ruling Naga People's Front on Monday to select his successor.

Adding to the suspense over the power struggle that has gripped the state since Wednesday , the CM's office issued two statements in three hours, the first expressing Zeliang's decision to quit office and the second informing about him submitting his resignation to governor P B Acharya.

Zeliang was quoted as saying, "The central leaders and some groups whom I met in Delhi told me that they have received suggestions that Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio should come back take over the helm of affairs."

The statement said reports sent by the governor, the Intelligence Bureau, Assam Rifles, the CRPF and Congress had recommended immediate imposition of President's Rule on grounds of "a breakdown of government machinery". Quoting Zeliang, it added, "I told them that the Naga people cannot afford to have President's Rule when the political talks are going ahead to solve the Naga political issues (suggesting NSCN-IM)."

Two major anti-reservation groups, the Nagaland Tribes' Action Committee and the Joint Coordination Committee, have been carrying out a relentless campaign for Zeliang's sacking since the death of two people in police firing during a protest Dimapur on January 31.

Zeliang issued the first statement after he arrived here from New Delhi at 2.25pm and held a meeting with NPF president Shurhozelie Lieziestu, who was on Wednesday chosen as the next CM by 42 ruling party and Independent MLAs. At that time, Zeliang was in Delhi waiting to meet Union home minister Rajnath Singh.

On Saturday night, 49 legislators, including the 39 who had earlier supported Lieziestu, agreed "in principle" to back NPF Lok Sabha member Neiphiu Rio as the next CM when the latter met them at a resort at Assam's Kaziranga National Park.

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In meeting with Zohran Mamdani, Trump repeats claim he stopped India-Pak war

Agencies

November 22,2025

New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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