Cong-led UPA practically sectarian, says state BJP

Reacting to the rejoinder by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) against the statements of Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, state BJP unit said Congress uses the “tool of communal charges against BJP” only during elections but otherwise remained silent since Congress “are the real perpetrators of communalism under the garb of centrist secular party”.
State BJP secretary (media-in-charge) Jaangsillung Golmei said if Congress was not communal, then who started the communal incidents in Muzaffarnagar in collusion with SP, Bodo- muslism in Kokrajhar and Karbi-Rengma clashes? BJP said all these took place because of covert and passive government attitude under Congress. Golmei also said Congress lambasting BJP of being communal was only to hide its “true sectarian colours” and to draw away attention from mis-governance and to gain a few extra votes .
 BJP Nagaland said it rejected all the charges made by NPCC against chief minister Neiphiu Rio as another routine effort. Further, BJP said it has always remained secular and non partisan with regard to minorities including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jain etc and cited the creation of DoNER minister under Vajpayee-led NDA. BJP claimed that NDA under Vajpayee sanctioned Rs.5 crore for development of Christian institutes in Nagaland, which were implemented by the DAN government. It also said the priority accorded to minorities under NDA could be gauged from the fact that only a BJP prime minister visited Nagaland by travelling on the worst road during monsoon and stayed overnight. Also during Vajpayee’s pro-minority policies, muslim pilgrims enjoyed the benefit of travelling with increased transport arrangements.
If Congress still thought BJP is communal, the state unit claimed that several Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and other minorities are part of high rank and file in the BJP at the national and state government levels. It cited that the deputy chief minister of Goa is a Christian besides other government functionaries and that BJP proposed to field PC Alexander for President but he was ruled out by the Congress. Further, it said BJP Nagaland unit has requested that a tribal Christian from Northeast be included in the next NDA ministry.
On NPCC’s reminder to NPF about the latter not fulfilling the 2003 poll promise to solve the Naga issue within three months of coming to power, BJP said the matter is a central subject and cited former interlocutor RS Pandey, who revealed that the UPA has been sitting over the issue for 11 years and stalling it. While admitting that Nagaland’s financial position was in bad shape, BJP however blamed the UPA for downsizing or suspending central flagship programmes “such as PDS and SASRD”.