BJP opposes gau yatra in city

SHILLONG, Sep 27: Senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister, AL Hek on Friday accused the organisers of the gau yatra of provocation and making attempts to create misunderstanding and said permission should not be granted for any such rally in Meghalaya.
Informing that he had held discussions with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Chief Secretary DP Wahlang on the matter, Hek said, “They have not got permission in BJP-ruled states like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland where they were disallowed from landing at the airport.”
He countered allegations of BJP being a Hindu party and said, “BJP is not for a particular section of a community, but all citizens of India.”
BJP spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang said the question of BJP trying to propagate the Hindutva agenda does not arise since BJP-led states like Arunachal and Nagaland have denied permission to the cow protection group to hold their rally.
“India is a secular country and anybody is free to propagate their own faith but not by bringing misunderstanding. That is our stand,” Kharkrang said.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh termed the call of the right wing group to stop cow slaughter in the state as “heights of stupidity”.
“I will never try to convince others to live the way I live,” he said while stating that people in Meghalaya are free to eat anything they like.