Sanbor Shullai, the South Shillong MLA and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), grasped at religion today, saying that voting Agatha Sangma and Ampareen Lyngdoh will boost Christian representation in the central government.
The BJP is supporting the two National People’s Party (NPP) candidates in Friday’s Lok Sabha vote. Sangma is the incumbent Tura MP, while Lyngdoh is looking to win Shillong for the first time.
Nationwide polls predict that the BJP will lead the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which the NPP is a member, to victory again. However, seeing as the BJP is dominated by far-right Hindu forces, two NPP MPs – Christian or not – from Meghalaya are hardly going to make much of a dent.
When this was put to Shullai, the legislator with a history of big brash statements deflected the question and said that voting for the Congress or anyone else would lead to five years of loss for the public.
“Both of them, if elected, can raise issues related to the Christian community and, being part of the government, will have a better say,” Shullai said. “And, the anti-Christian narrative by the opposition will be defeated if both of them are elected from Meghalaya.”
Sangma, though, has been MP for Tura for several terms and is not widely known to have done anything regarding Christian community-related issues.
And although having an opposition and allowing it to have a voice in Parliament is an important part of a democracy, Shullai suggested that MPs from other parties would be ignored by the central government as the NDA will win more than 400 seats.
The BJP MLA also came down heavily against other political parties that have made it a habit to attack the saffron outfit in the media.
Shullai cautioned the public that rival political parties are laying the foundation of a frightening culture of lawlessness in Meghalaya.
“Meghalaya must move forward and concentrate on developmental issues; we cannot continue to bring up issues that will divide our society. If the educated voters desire a peaceful Shillong, they must make their voice heard on April 19,” he said.
He said that with the support of the State and Centre, Meghalaya will stand together and will not allow criminal acts to take place in society.
