The Voice of the People Party (VPP) is staunchly secular and does not favour one religion over any other, party spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh has said.
Yesterday the party expelled one of its former MLA candidates, Avner Pariat, who, in turn, had said that he had been meaning to leave the VPP in any case as the party had taken a turn that he could not in good conscience support.
Pariat had supposedly made comments in favour of a different part on social media, which the VPP found fault with. In response, Pariat said that the VPP has shifted towards religious fanaticism, which he has found troubling. “The promise of progress that once inspired me to join this party has been replaced by a regressive agenda that I can no longer support in good conscience,” he had said in a draft resignation letter.
Myrboh today expressed sadness and disappointment in Pariat’s accusations, stating that he should have known the party’s ideology better.
The VPP believes in secularism, Myrboh maintained, and does not invoke any religious principles during party meetings or conducts the prayer of any particular religion.
He emphasised that Pariat’s accusation is a complete misreading of the party and that the VPP stands for clean politics, good governance and the fundamental rights of all Indian citizens, with a special emphasis on the rights of indigenous or tribal people.
He further explained that the VPP’s ideology of secularism means that all religions are equally important, including those who do not believe in any religion.
