SHILLONG, Feb 5: The BJP has rubbished the perception that it is anti-Christians and anti-church.
BJP national general secretary Rituraj Sinha told The Shillong Times that when the opposition parties have nothing to say against the saffron party, they come up with misinformation campaigns ahead of every election.
He said the BJP is not against the church but against those who are anti-India. The BJP is also against those who enter Meghalaya illegally from Bangladesh, he added.
“Let us remember that it was under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that His Holiness the Pope visited India. PM Modi declared during his last Shillong visit that he invited the Pope again. When a church was bombed in Sri Lanka, PM Modi was the first global leader to visit the site. We have Christian ministers at the Centre and the states across India,” Sinha said.
He sought proof of any instance where the BJP banned beef or acted against the church. He said under the PRASAD scheme, the central government extended financial assistance to several church and Christian institutions.
Sinha did not give a direct reply on whether the BJP will align with the NPP post-poll. He said the election results will surprise many. “If it can happen in Manipur and Tripura, why not in Meghalaya? People want a stable government which can deliver corruption-free speedy development. BJP is clearly the best option,” he claimed.
The MDA government, in which the BJP is a constituent, faced many charges of corruption, yet the BJP did nothing. Sinha said a stronger BJP presence in the state Assembly will definitely mean a stronger check on corruption.
“PM Modi has given India a scam-free government for 8 years. There is no reason why we can’t do the same in Meghalaya,” he said.
Asked why the BJP did not walk out of the MDA, he said the party had limited influence for being a “small partner”.
“In politics, your say will carry weightage if you have a good number of MLAs. Hopefully, things will be different post-elections,” Sinha said.
The BJP, which could not fare well in the past two Meghalaya elections, is pinning hopes on Modi magic. Sinha claimed there is a strong pro-Modi sentiment.
