According to NSCN-IM, the minister's "utterance" has only exposed the minister's heartless and cruel mentality exploiting every given opportunity to castigate the very symbols that identify the Nagas that they are not a lost people. "Who is Temjen Along who defiantly chose words to go headlong against the Naga people’s political identity with his infuriating statement saying 'Flag and constitution are not achievable?'" asked NSCN-IM.

The NSCN-IM statement then said that Temjen Imna Along is "a boy of yesterday in the political arena" but in a damning hurry to make his presence felt by dancing madly to the anti-Naga tune played by "his political mentors", RSS/BJP.  "Significantly, much before Imna Along was given birth to this earth, thousands of Naga people have attained martyrdom defending the legitimate historical and political rights of the Nagas as symbolized by the Naga flag and the constitution," it said. NSCN-IM also said that many have embraced death to give a better future to our motherland. 

The NSCN-IM statement then said that the "rainbow flag of the Naga nation" was something very uniquely made. NSCN-IM further said that it was designed as divinely inspired and is not the brainwork of anybody. "This symbolized the covenant between God and the Naga people," it added.

The NSCN-IM statement then said that the Naga people cannot be so unfaithful and treacherous to forsake what God has given to lead them as a nation and as a people. "We have no objection to Imna Along’s desperateness to establish his political base backed by his mentor BJP/RSS," it also said, adding, "But in the process he should not fiddle with the Naga flag and the constitution that is too big for his size". NSCN-IM further said that Temjen Imna Along has proved himself as recklessly immature to touch on the sensitive Naga issue at such a critical stage. It added that the Naga flag and the constitution are something too big for "his flamboyant political gamble".