Viral video: Nagaland BJP rebuts claims by ‘self-styled crusader’

Dimapur, May 31 (EMN): The Nagaland unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rubbished the ‘baseless allegations levelled by one self-styled crusader named Pankaj Gupta’, who in a viral video, claimed to be a doctor with experience of working with American and Italian governments.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party maintained that normally, baseless allegations would not merit a response ‘but the accuser has exhibited an agenda to spark off public unrest with ill-intended assumptions and presumptions and hence, the issue needs to be set straight’.

The party took exception to the accusation that the chief minister and the state government had conspired to spread coronavirus to the interior places in order to avail fund from the Centre.

“This statement has exhibited the accuser’s own questionable mentality because we as Nagas cannot allow any harm to befall our own people neither do we wish that anyone else be harmed by this virus,” it stated, adding that “his own blabbering has exposed his puerile mentality and the harm he wishes upon the Naga people”.

“Who in their right sense would barter the lives of their own people to Covid-19 for the sake of money? When and where did the government come up with such a discussion or a plan? Who can even think of this when the government has been working only with one single agenda – to do everything within its capacity to mitigate the problems caused by the pandemic and to safeguard the lives and health of our people? Only minds with ill intentions like the accuser are capable of such plans,” read the statement.

The party stated that the statement is an insult to the Naga people as a whole and to each and every frontline worker, NGO, state government machinery etc., involved in the fight against the pandemic.

It reminded that the chief minister had, through a video message on May 29, expressed regret over any lapses and appealed to the people to bear with the government. A judicial inquiry has been formed to probe the incident involving Tuensang returnees, and directed to submit its report in 15 days, it pointed out.

“As for the management of finances, details are available on the government portals and the departments concerned have been clarifying from time to time, which seems to have been wilfully ignored by the accuser or misinterpreted to suit his allegations. As for the War Room on Covid-19 which the accuser has not visited at any point of time, it is well secured and set up and all necessary activities are being carried from this centre to the extent possible. There have been many cases whereby applicants have applied for financial aid but the same could not be disbursed to them due to faulty and/or incorrect details,” it stated.

The party reminded that it has been in a pre-poll alliance with the NDPP since February 2018 and went to polls on a seat-sharing basis as one entity. ‘After the elections, the PDA government was formed on March 8 under the able leadership of Neiphiu Rio, chief minister; and Y Patton, deputy chief minister. During the past two years, two months and 23 days, the PDA government has brought about many changes in governance and in the development of the state, which can be seen by one and all if viewed without any prejudice.

‘The BJP is a part of the PDA government with the blessings of Narendra Modi, prime minister; JP Nadda, national president of BJP; and Amit Shah, union home minister. Hence, the BJP Nagaland state unit hereby questions, with what authority does the accuser claim that the BJP will break ties with the PDA government and the chief minister? This assertion of the accuser has been taken seriously and he is hereby challenged to prove his claims, if there is any truth or credibility to it,’ the statement read.

The BJP Nagaland unit questioned the accuser’s academic credentials, and asked him to ‘prove to the Naga people in what field he attained his doctorate along with all necessary details’.

“He should also prove in what capacities he worked for the American and Italian governments as proudly claimed by him. It is learnt that he apparently was part of a team that organised a fashion show at Mount Everest for which a Guinness World Record was set for it being the highest runway in the world. That is immaterial to Nagaland state and has nothing to do with the Nagas or the global fight against this pandemic.

“It is shameful for the accuser to be asking the Nagas (Christians) to go to church and confess. These statements are an affront not only to our way of life but to our faith (Christianity) and to us as Christians. As for the challenge for an online debate, the government authorities are well aware of the issues and all the technicalities therein. However, that does not mean that the authorities are scared to debate. The issue is about the credibility of the accuser himself and whether it is worth the time and energy of the state government to debate with some ill-informed person who seemingly has ulterior motives; or should the state government continue to focus its manpower, time and resources on the fight against the pandemic, now that it has reached our state?” it stated.