The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over claims made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against the outfit in a terror case registered in strife-hit Manipur.

It also accused the Indian security forces of “extending their logistics and material support to KNA(B) to wage war against the Meitei revolutionary groups stationed” in neighbouring Myanmar.

The insurgent outfit, engaged in peace talks with the Centre for the past 27 years, was responding to a report — China-Myanmar module of NSCN-IM helped banned outfits in Manipur — appearing in The Hindu newspaper on Wednesday.

Based on a charge sheet filed by the NIA in a Guwahati court in March, the report said the NSCN (IM) had supported two proscribed Meitei outfits — Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup and People’s Liberation Army of Manipur — to infiltrate India to exploit the ongoing Manipur ethnic conflict with a larger goal of destabilising the state and “to further wage a war against the Government of India”. The chargesheet, filed against five persons arrested in Manipur last July, also claimed they had conspired to carry out terror attacks against the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur.

The NIA chargesheet, according to the report, said the NSCN-IM based in Myanmar had promised a safe passage along with arms, ammunition, explosives and other terrorist hardware to Manipur-based terrorist outfits and proscribed organisations.

“In addition, these outfits have also been tasked to identify, recruit and train impressionable youths and get them involved in the ongoing violence with the larger goal of destabilising the security situation in Manipur and to further wage a war against the Government of India,” the NIA charge sheet said.

Describing the NIA claim as “misleading” and “vicious”, the NSCN (I-M) said it is “sensitive to the propaganda war waged by the Government of India against NSCN (which) had signed a ceasefire with GOI and engaged political talks for the last 27 years. Ironically GOI agencies keep hitting below the belt”.

The NSCN said it was a “proxy war of Indian security forces in the name of KNA(B) and PDF against NSCN. But to put the matter straight, the Naga Army had not taken a single step to fight against the KNA (B). Neither did we find the reason to go against PDF”.

The KNA (Burma) and People’s Defense Forces (PDF) based in Myanmar are currently fighting the military junta.

“What is going on now in the Myanmar border with India is something that is exposing the hidden war or proxy war against the NSCN. Indian security forces consisting of AR and para-regiment are constantly raining bombs on the NSCN position on daily basis in the name of KNA(B). The reason is not far to seek. The Indian Security Forces do not want Naga Army to be stationed in the Myo Thit(Tab) area in Myanmar,” the NSCN (IM) said in its rejoinder to the NIA claim.