Nagaland Christians wooed with free Jerusalem trip

Monday 19th February 2018 05:31 EST
 
 

GUWAHATI: Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu, along with Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, and State BJP Election Management Committee M Chuba Ao released the BJP manifesto ahead of the Nagaland assembly elections in Dimapur. It has been brought to light that the saffron party has promised senior citizens of the Christian-majority state free trips to Jerusalem for senior citizens.

The poll promise came a month after the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre scrapped subsidy to Muslims going on Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Meanwhile the Congress, in its manifesto released earlier this week, had promised to set up a board “to facilitate minorities to visit Holy Land at a subsidised cost”. The state will go to polls on February 27. BJP is contesting from 20 of the total 60 seats, while ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party is fighting on others. Congress has only 18 people in the race.

Influential church organisations are not surprised by the move. General secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, Rev Zelhou Keyho said, “Parties are playing with religious sentiments of people. It is surprising that the BJP, which stopped Haj subsidies, is promising free trips to Jerusalem in Nagaland.” The organisation has urged parties to spend money on development, also requesting voters to not be deceived by “cheap politics”.


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