The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland has taken strong exception to the allegation made by Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President K Therie in portraying the BJP as “anti-Naga”, “anti-Christian”, “anti-faith” and “anti-custom”.

In a communiqué released on Tuesday, the party said Therie’s portrayal of the BJP are “completely false, baseless and unfounded”.

Stating that the BJP is one of the largest national political parties that respects all religions, the party wrote: “BJP is in no way anti- Naga or Anti-Christian, as alleged by Therie, nor is the party anti Naga custom or Naga ways of life.”

File photo: NPCC President K Therie.

The party also accused Therie of blaming the BJP for different issues, all done for political gains for his party.

“The BJP Nagaland cannot remain mute spectators when such political fanatic leaders like Mr Therie habitually blamed BJP for all the mishaps that happen under the sun in the hope of gaining undue political mileage for his party that is on the verge of extinction.”

On the Naga Issue, the party questioned: “Under whose Prime Ministership did the Naga Political issue gained momentum, unlike the Congress party that had played with the sentiments of the Nagas during their decades long regime?”

The BJP Nagaland further stated that none of their members have any intention to “proliferate their Christian faith with Hinduism, as feared most by Mr Therie”.

The party wrote, “In fact, members of BJP Nagaland are no less Christians than members from any political parties in the State, and therefore, playing desperate politics on religious lines is very uncalled for.”

On the issue of decorative pieces at Puja Pandals, the BJP claimed that it was an old video from Kharagpur, West Bengal in 2020 that has gone viral on social media in the recent days. The party stated the incident had nothing to do with the BJP.

The BJP Nagaland ended the communiqué by asserting that the party would continue serving the people and “ensure that its welfare programs are accessible to every sections of people in the society, as the party ideology is based on development for all.”

The party shall continue and aspire to focus more on development sector and shall not be deterred by negative agendas, it added.