Nagaland Congress slams Patton’s ‘anti-Christian’ accusation

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has denied and condemned the ‘baseless allegations’ against the party by Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland Y Patton. The committee has urged him to channel his wisdom towards the good of the people instead of indulging in ‘infantile schemes.’

In a note, the NPCC said that the Indian National Congress has always espoused the spirit of equality and unity in diversity and has endeavoured to foster mutual respect among all faiths.

“We have, and we will continue to condemn and oppose any agenda that breeds religious bigotry and incite hatred along communal lines, both within the confines of our borders and beyond,” the note read.

It added that labelling the party as ‘anti-Christian’ by Patton with reference to the party’s stand on the Israel-Palestine issue therefore came as quite a shock.

Stating that Patton’s take is wrong on so many levels, the Nagaland Congress mentioned that Congress officially condemned the brutal attack on the people of Israel in the clearest of terms possible.  “Considering the nature of the accusation, coming from the ideologue of a party that prides itself on ‘teaching a lesson’ to the minority communities of the country, one cannot help but marvel at the irony of the situation,” stated the note issued by the NPCC communications department.

It further mentioned that condemning or supporting either Israel or Palestine is in no way a reflection of either being ‘for’ or ‘anti’ Christianity and added that neither Israel nor Palestine is a Christian state.

The NPCC pointed out that at present Christians constitute a mere 1.5% to 2% of the total population of both Israel and Palestine, and they have historically been victims of both intended and unintended persecution on both sides of the border, comparatively more so from the actions of Israel.

It nevertheless emphasised that the Israel-Palestine issue is a protracted and complicated matter and that the only path to a solution is through peaceful dialogue and negotiations.

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