Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, APRIL 14
The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today organized a protest rally outside the Congress Bhavanin the state capital against what it alleged an “undemocratic and vindictive actions” of the BJP government in different states across the country, particularly the Congress ruled states.
Without mincing words, NPCC president K Therie in his address at the rally, got straight down to allege that right from the time it took over the reins at the Centre, the BJP-led NDA government has attempted to see that minorities in the country are cornered, shattered and brought down to their knees. He said the BJP has no respect for the Constitution or for democracy and their actions have all but indicated that they are all for money and power.
Making a mention of what recently transpired in Arunachal Pradesh politics, Therie said 48 duly elected Congress MLAs were destabilized under the control of BJP. He alleged that attempts to topple Congress ruled states were ceaselessly being made, citing the case of Uttarakhand, Assam and Manipur. While charging the BJP of trying to “buy MLAs” in these states, the PCC president also pointed out that even in Nagaland there is a government without opposition, with the eight Congress MLAs jumping ship to join the Naga People’s Front (NPF), an ally of BJP, last year.
Taking a dig at the NPF-led government in the state and the corruption it is purportedly involved in, he lamented that the people do not even notice the Rs.14,000 crore budget which is meant for the people have never come down to them and the state’s roads, schools, hospitals and the general public are still left suffering. “Our people must realize that absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he said.
“I don’t see any difference between the NPF and BJP anymore… They are hand-in-glove, they have become the two sides of the same coin, playing the same game against our own Christianity, against their own faith, and they don’t know what they are doing,” Therie accused.
“In our view, under the rule of BJP and NDA, the nation is no more secure under the Constitution of India,” he added, further alleging that there has been a breakdown of the Constitution under the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The NPCC president appealed to the people that the only way to restore the morale of the nation, the Constitution and democracy, is to vote out the BJP and its allies, and vote in moral leadership that can give the people a clean, stable, strong and developing government.
Also speaking at the rally, former MLA Langpha listed out several instances that “proved BJP’s undemocratic and vindictive actions”. He read out cases of forced conversions, atrocities against minorities particularly on Christians and declaration of significant Christian holy days as government working days etc.
Another former MLA, Takamasa Ao also voiced strong allegations against the BJP-led NDA government regarding usage of undemocratic means against Congress ruling states in the dismissal of the Congress governments particularly in Arunachal and Uttarakhand.He asserted that when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre, there was no discrimination for any state that was ruled by non-Congress parties. He cited the example of Gujarat and how the state has thrived under the Congress. However, he said, since the BJP came to power at the Centre two years back, all it has been doing is trying to suppress minorities and destroy the Congress party in different states.
Delivering a brief speech, an ex-candidate, Hokiye was more vocal on criticising the NPF party which is a BJP ally in Nagaland. Stating that the so-called popular government in Nagaland is about to complete its five years term without bringing out a single works programme for the state, he said it is up to the people to decide whether this popular government is delivering or not. He also remarked that the BJP at the Centre is not only undermining democracy but is also encouraging corruption. “We must rise and stand against corruption with the right propagation,” he said.
The crowd at the rally, including representatives of 11 District Congress Committees along with NPCC leaders shouted slogans like ‘Down with undemocratic and vindictive actions of BJP against Congress ruled states’, ‘BJP- murderer of democracy’ and ‘Oppositionless government- absolute power, absolute corruption’ etc. The PCC also put up posters containing similar slogans in the premises of the rally.
