Dimapur, February 19 (MExN): The BJP Nagaland has responded to a statement of NPF president, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu made against the BJP in an election rally recently.
“Shürhozelie’s recent vitriolic utterance during an election rally wherein he alleged that many Christians had suffered under the BJP government is a classic example of political dementia,” BJP Nagalnd Media Cell stated in a press release.
In the same rally, it added, the NPF president also criticized the NDPP-BJP alliance and called upon the people to “protect the Christian faith, culture and identity at any cost.”
In this regard, the BJP Nagaland maintained that till date, no court has found BJP workers involved in working against the Christian faith. “It is only some fanatic groups and fringe elements who are indulging in such blasphemous acts and later blaming BJP for their own vested interests,” it claimed.
“A tall regional leader of his stature blindly pointing fingers at the BJP for others’ misdeeds without substantial evidence is belittling the Nagas in general and NPF in particular,” the BJP stated.
The party assured that BJP is equally committed to protecting Naga “Christain faith, culture and identity.”
It further disagreed with the NPF president saying “BJP is not only ‘trying to set its foot in Nagaland state through its alliance partner’ but has already planted its feet firmly in Nagaland, not for any other reason or ideology but solely to bring development and good governance.”
Meanwhile, BJP questioned the NPF chief why he is raking up the issues just now and not during the years when BJP and NPF shared alliance since the Janata Government in 1977. “Is it because of the new alliance (BJP-NDPP)?” it asked.
All through the years beginning with the 2003 pre-poll alliance between the NPF and BJP, “the NPF president who happily wielded his authority on the strength of the NPF-BJP alliance had not a word of complaint against the BJP,” it added.
“But with the change of equation, the new NDPP-BJP alliance and election round the bend, the respected and octogenarian regionalist leader suddenly seems to have grown myopic, forgetful and green with envy.”
