SHILLONG, FEB 8: The ruling Congress today condemned the BJP-led NDA government for allegedly denying visa to a Johannesburg-based president of Baptist World Alliance Chief DR Paul Msiza, who is scheduled to attend the 150th year of Christianity in Garo Hills region.
Addressing newsmen here on Thursday, Shillong MP and also MPCC working president Vincent H Pala said that this matter cannot be seen in isolation of just a visa denial but it very well exposes the mindset of the present dispensation, the BJP party and their masters in Nagpur.
He informed that he had personally spoken to the office of the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the matter.
“They told me that the message has been sent to the ambassador of India in South Africa but till now not got the visa and the conference in Garo Hills already started from today,” he said.
Pala also alleged that this information was given to her (Swaraj) long time back by the Baptish church but intentionally they want to insult the church.
“Whoever comes to India, they (BJP) welcome the businessmen but not to church leaders this is nothing but discrimination to the Christianity in India. This is signs of intolerance to Christianity,” he said.
“The repeated denial of visa by the BJP Government to Christian missionaries to Meghalaya is condemnable in the strongest possible term,” he added.
Alleging that the saffron brigade will stop at nothing to pursue their agenda of Hindutva, Pala said, “The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had even stooped to the level of ridiculing the much revered Mother Teresa ad said that she had the ‘ulterior’ motive of converting people to Christianity while serving the destitute people.”
He said that this clearly reflects the mindset which attacks churches where people gather for prayers with young children adding it is the same mindset that breeds intolerance and attacks people’s eating habits, culture and the spirit and ethos of the Indian Constitution.
“The people of Meghalaya do not need the leaders of saffron brigade to dictate terms from their headquarters in Nagpur in pursuit of their Hindutva agenda,” he said.
The Baptist Convention was first established at Rajasimila in East Garo Hills district in 1867.
By Our Reporter
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