Shillong, Jul 15: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Pynthorumkhrah MLA Alexander Laloo Hek today said government offices should not have places of worship.
His remarks came a day after the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) opposed what it described as an illegal temple inside the premises of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mawdiangdiang. The pressure group padlocked the temple as a result while demanding that it be demolished within a week as the CBI had not received permission to construct it.
Reacting to the KSU’s action, Hek said the issue, in his view, was not about supporting or opposing the move against the temple’s construction. Instead, he stressed the need for government offices to remain free of religious structures.
According to Hek, workplaces are shared by people from different faiths and communities and therefore should not accommodate any place of worship. He said places of worship should be located at designated religious sites or on private property rather than inside government establishments.
