Being allies of the BJP at the state level is enough to make regional Meghalaya parties complicit in the wave of atrocities being carried out against Christians in various parts of the country.
This was the claim of the Congress Party, which launched the attack on the regional parties that are members of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, which includes the BJP.
Attacks over the weekend on Chhattisgarh have drawn much attention and condemnation in Meghalaya, though it has been pointed out by other parties that that state is, in fact, ruled by the Congress, which was unable to prevent the clashes. The Congress, on the other hand, blames the Hindutva-centric BJP for spreading hatred against minorities throughout the country.
“They (regional parties) are responsible for the actions perpetrated against minorities. They cannot escape (culpability),” state Congress leader and MDC Ronnie Lyngdoh said today, adding in a direct message to these parties, “For five years you have worked together so now you cannot say no.”
Alleging that religious minorities and tribals are bearing the brunt of polarization in BJP-ruled states, he expressed optimism that the people of Meghalaya will reject the BJP at the upcoming elections.
“We need development and not polarization,” he stated.
Condemning the recent attack on a church in Chhattisgarh, Ronnie Lyngdoh said that the party has urged the central and state governments to take action against the culprits.
Fellow state party leader, JA Lyngdoh, who only recently quit the BJP, raised the matter of a senior Assam police officer recently seeking information on Christians and churches in the state. Although the Assam government has denied prior knowledge of the officer’s initiative, JA Lyngdoh questioned how a Superintendent of Police could have issued such a directive without the authority of higher-ups in the government.
