Various political parties including Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) turned their gun towards Nagaland & Assam Governor P.B. Acharya’s controversial remarks, demanding his immediate removal.
Acharya stoked a controversy on Saturday with his reported “Hindustan is for Hindus” remark and his attempt to clarify on Sunday with a comment that Indian Muslims are “free to go Pakistan” further escalated the row.
Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has demanded that Acharya should be immediately replaced as Governor of Assam & Nagaland “if he cannot uphold the secular spirit of the Constitution of India”.
In a press note, NPCC president K. Therie hit out saying: “They are the ones creating law and order problems in the nation through their irresponsible utterances”.
Therie condemned the statement and said it was unbecoming of a leader of his standing to make such remark.
“He should be relieved of his duties as Governor of the two states and should perhaps be given time to pursue his religious fervor,” he added.
Uttering that India is Hindustan for Hindus has revealed the agenda with which he was appointed to a Christian state like Nagaland, he said.
Being a constitutional head of two states, Therie said Acharya was expected to be more careful in his utterances.
Hitting out at the Governor, controversial Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan said Muslims would prefer ‘Kabirstan’ to Pakistan and suggested he go to Nepal, if he had any problem with them.
BSP chief Mayawati demanded that action be taken against Acharya as per the law. “He should be immediately dismissed and action initiated against him as per the rules.”
“It is most unbecoming for a person sitting on such a high post to issue a statement which is against the spirit of the Constitution …it is unfortunate that Central Government has given such high post to people associated with the RSS having such distorted mentality,” she said in a statement released in Lucknow.
Exhorting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action in this case, she said it was also necessary to prove that there is no difference in what he preaches and follows.
“He (Acharya) does not know how to maintain his dignity. Governor’s office is a very prestigious office. I have worked with Governors appointed during earlier NDA regime also, but never saw such a person. They all worked with dignity,” Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati.
Rijiju defends Acharya
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju sought to defend Acharya over his remarks, claiming he did not make any comments with religious overtones.
“The Governor did not make a religious comment. But it was for all religions not any particular one. But I have not heard about the other comment about Muslims being sent to Bangladesh,” Rijiju told reporters in Delhi.
Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy also came to the defence of Acharya. “Much ado about nothing! A perfectly innocuous remark, historically correct and quite justified, taken out of context,” he said.
Leave a Reply