Imkong urges fact-check on allegations against BJP

KOHIMA — Rubbishing allegations heaped upon the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as anti-Christian, the BJP legislator and advisor of Soil and Water Conservation and Information and Public Relations (IPR), Imkong L Imchen, has urged not to accept them as the gospel truth but to fact-check the allegations and prove with evidence.

Imchen asserted that as a Christian, he would defend his faith and dare to speak out the truth saying that his religion would takes precedence over his political affiliations and bounded to defend. In this regard, he stated that reports on social media are not base on facts.

He stated this during a press conference held at his official residence in Kohima on Tuesday. Imchen, who had spent his prime life in the Congress party for about three decades, claimed that he knew the intention of the Congress fairly well like many legislators in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA). He added that BJP fully endorsed the PDA consensus candidate, Dr. Chumben Murry.

While referring to accusations labeled against the BJP, Imchen stated that those opinions were untenable and not in conformity with the reality. IN this regard, he stated that Naga people deserved to know the stand of the BJP in the state.

He claimed that religious atrocities witnessed over the past five to six years across the country were not fact but manufactured. To bolster his claim, Imchen stated that the Constitution of India has provided freedom of religion as a fundamental law.

He also questioned the Congress party if it has ever filed a First Information Report (FIR) against such act of atrocity.

Imchen highlighted how the NLA had also discussed during the last session about the Assam’s Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill 2023 and affirmed to defend their faith on Christianity.

“As Christian dominated states, 100% of the MLAs in Nagaland are Christian and are aware of their own responsibility. When significant constitutional infringements are made, the NLA used to make their presence felt,” Imchen said.

Asserting that many allegations were made against the BJP in the state with unfounded wild allegations, he questioned the inaction of Congress party in the past when atrocities were committed on the Naga people in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He recalled how churches were turned into military concentration camps where criminal actions were committed and inflicted against the Naga populace.

Imchen pointed out the Congress manifesto intending to amend the Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution of India and approved the activities of the LGBTQIA+ community. He alleged that the Congress party wanted to introduce homosexuality in Nagaland which is a 99% Christian dominated state. He added that the BJP is against it.

The senior legislator stressed on the need to have a harmonious relationship with the political party which is governing the nation. He stated that the state government has expressed its reservation about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Nagaland was kept outside from the purview of the same.

He further mentioned his earlier statement against the move to abolish free-movement regime and construction of fence along the Indo-Myanmar border.