SHILLONG, Dec 26: Sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau are monitoring the Christian leaders and activities in the state, the Meghalaya unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged.
Referring to an inquiry ordered by the Assam government into a purported official letter seeking data on new churches in the state, TMC vice-president George B. Lyngdoh said it pointed to the IB intensifying surveillance in the region.
“Sources have confirmed that the IB is keeping a close watch on Christian activities and Christian leaders in Meghalaya,” he told journalists on Monday.
Lyngdoh said the official letter seeking information on religious conversion and the number of churches in Assam indicated a threat to the safety and security of Christians.
He blamed the BJP for misusing the government machinery to target a minority community.
“As a people-centric party that believes in upholding the rights of all, we will not remain silent if unsecular forces try to divide the people on religious lines,” he said, adding that the TMC would fight all kinds of atrocities carried out by the BJP in Assam and elsewhere in the Northeast.
On Saturday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disassociated himself from the letter and said he was neither informed about the content of the letter nor was it discussed at a government forum.
Meghalaya TMC leaders said the Assam CM was trying to fool the people by feigning ignorance.
“Assam has recorded the most cases of religious offence in the Northeast, which has increased substantially since 2020,” Lyngdoh said.
