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DIMAPUR — Hayithung Tungoe Lotha, the independent candidate for the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency, stated on Saturday that he fully endorses the Nagaland Baptist Church Council's (NBCC) clean election movement (CEM) and 152-hour chain of prayer for the Lok Sabha elections.
In a press statement, Hayithung expressed that the NBCC's CEM appeal to all in Nagaland to vote consciously to choose right from wrong as Nagaland prepares to go to the polls on April 19 is a 'morally right stance’ and a ‘spiritual awakening message of hope’.
He alleged that in every election, both state and central, in Nagaland, people encounter blatant tribalism/clanism, range/villageism, muscle power, electoral coup/booth capturing, free flow of alcohol/drug abuse, vote-buying, and money power at play, all of which completely contradict the basic core principles of Christianity.
Also, according to him, the JD'(U)s negative reactions and criticism of the NBCC and CEM are ‘very childish, immature, shameful, and morally wrong’.
Stating that the allegations against JD(U) went so far as to claim that reverends, pastors, and prominent church workers during the state elections in 2023 were either tacitly or openly supporting various political party candidates, he reminded that in a constitutional democracy, every citizen has the right to support, campaign for, and vote in favour of any candidate from any political party.
He pointed out that in a mature and deeply rooted democracy like the USA, elected presidents often appoint reverends and pastors as their ecclesiastical or spiritual advisors and cited the example of Rev. Billy Graham.
He appealed to everyone in Nagaland to prayerfully participate in the NBCC's call for a 152-hour chain of prayer for the Lok Sabha elections.