India, Sept. 7 -- Nine Naga legislators abstained from Manipur assembly proceedings on Monday in protest against the killing of six Nagas in May and to press for action against deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen, calling her husband the prime accused. They include Losii Dikho, the ethnic-violence-hit state's second deputy chief minister.

Nemcha Kipgen last week rejected Dikho's allegations that she and her husband were involved in the Naga-Kuki clashes as unverified claims that could further damage inter-community trust.

Naga People's Front chief Awangbou Newmai announced the abstention hours before the proceedings. He accused Thangboi Kipgen, the husband of deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki, of being responsible for the kill...