BJP leader allays GH church fears

TURA: Church leaders in Garo Hills raised concerns over social media posts about BJP’s bigotry during their meeting with KJ Alphons here on Wednesday.
“Yes, there were apprehensions and fears about what was appearing on social media. I clarified saying 99 per cent of social media news is fake. When BJP was going to come to power in 2014 there were apprehensions that churches would be burnt and Christians would be beaten to death. There has not been one instance where a church was burnt or Christians were attacked anywhere in the country after Modi came to power,” said Alphons, who is the first and only Christian face in the BJP government at the Centre.
He added that he was a practising Christian and despite not being an MP he was made a minister in the Modi cabinet.
“This shows it’s an inclusive Cabinet,” said the leader from Kerala while praising the efforts of the central government in securing release of abducted priest Fr. Tom from Yemen, ensuring safety of Fr. Prem Kumar in Afghanistan, and Sr. D’Souza and others from Libya and Iraq.
On his arrival, Alphons called on the Bishop of Tura, Rev Andrew R Marak, at Bishop House and later interacted with church elders from the Garo Baptist Convention and the Church of North India at the circuit house.
Prominent among those who met Alphons were president of the A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima Aloysius G Momin, ABDK general secretary Rev. Janang R Sangma, Pastor of Tura Baptist Church Rev. Wetterfield Marak and Pastor of Hawakhana Baptist Church Rev. Frithing Sangma.