SHILLONG: Just few days ahead of the Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday made another desperate effort to project itself as a pro-Christian party as the party shared the speech of the Prime Minister, Narendra at Vigyan Bhawan made before Church leaders way back on February 17, 2015 with media persons here.
Some of the quotes of the Prime Minister shared with media persons from that meeting are, “My Government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith. Everyone has the undeniable right to retain, or to adopt the religion of their choice without coercion or undue influence.”
The party also shared the response to the meeting by Father Sebastian Vadakkumpadan Vicar General, Archdiocese of Faridabad dated March 24, 2015 wherein he said that they were happy to get the opportunity to prepare a venue for the Prime Minister to make that historic speech and it was a turning point in secular India.
Meanwhile, Union Tourism Minister, KJ Alphons who is campaigning in the state for long attacked the Congress Government in the state over the high infant mortality rate in the state.
Quoting figures, he said that IMR per 1000 live births in Meghalaya stood at 30 whereas its just 12 in Kerala
With regards to under five mortality rate, he said that Meghalaya’s figure stood at 40 whereas the rate at Kerala stood at six only.
On the maternal mortality rate (MMR), he said that the figures in Meghalaya was 238 while in Kerala its only 40.
“The Chief Minister, are you not leading the most backward state? What right do you have to be the Chief Minister,” Alphons said.
When asked If his initiative of giving sops to churches in Meghalaya just ahead of Assembly polls has backfired, he said that the Government gave schemes to even mosques, temples and gurudwaras
While referring to the rejection of the scheme by the religious leaders of few churches, he said, “We know exactly which party do they belong.”
