Congress trying to force church into Meghalaya politics: BJP


Shillong, Feb 10 (IANS): The BJP on Friday accused the ruling Congress in Meghalaya of trying to force the church into electoral politics over visa rejection to Reverend Paul Msiza to attend a religious function in the state's Garo Hills region.

The visa application of the Baptist World Alliance leader was rejected by the Consulate General of India in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, which has angered the Christian community in poll-bound Meghalaya.

Elections to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly will be held on February 27 and counting of votes taken up on March 3.

"The Congress has no agenda but is only trying to force the church into politics by trying to mislead and misuse the church for political reasons," Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Nalin Kohli told journalists here.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said that the central government refusing to grant permission to Paul Msiza to attend the sesquicentenary celebrations of Christianity organised by the Garo Baptist Convention in the Garo Hills demonstrates the hidden agenda of the government against the Christians and other religious communities.

The Garo Baptist Convention is celebrating 150 years of Christianity at Rajasimla in East Garo Hills from February 8-11. The Baptist Church set foot in Garo Hills at Rajasimla in 1867.

However, Kohli said the BJP does not decide if a visa is given or not given to a person planning to visit India.

"Visa authorities follow rules set up by respective governments in every country. In India, it was the Congress that made the visa rules because they ruled the country for 55 years and those rules have to be adhered to irrespective of any community or religion," Kohli said.

The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organisations, formed in 1905 in London.

  

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  • Harold D'cunha, Mangalore, India.

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    BJP, you have stabbed your own person from VHP, Praveen Togadia who is considered as firebrand Hindu leader who has helped Modiji to come to power in Gujarath as CM.
    History of Modiji is nothing but stabbing them behind, whether it is Advanji and now Mr. Togadia. BJP cannot fool all the people all the time. Stop spreading lies.

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  • Sunil Padival, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    No wonder, Raul Vinci Khan , who was a Muslim in UP , a Hindu in Gujarat, suddenly became a Christian in Meghalaya. All the attires just for electoral benefits. The latest news is , he is gonna be a HIndu again in Ktaka. The irony here is, the Cong accuse other parties for playing the religion card. This is pathetic,

    DisAgree [13] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Sunil,

    Why are you surprised ? Haven't you read that born Jain, Amith Shah is now Sanathan Dharmi ? Why ? Is Jainism different from Hinduism ? Then, aren't Jains, Budhists, Sikhs, Lingayaths, converts ? Why this step-motherly treatment to only Christians/Muslims ?

    DisAgree [13] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sunil Padival, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Jenifer.

    I am not a fan of Amit Shah, Amit Shah may be a Bakth. But he has seen never FLAUNTED his religion for electoral gains. Unlike RG (whose real name is Raul V Khan) he has not worn a skull cap and sported a beard to woo voters calling himself a Muslim and then discard it. He has not then clean shaven his beard and worn the brahmin scared thread with a big naama and called himself Shiv Bakth in full media glare. He has not gone to Meghalaya and called himself a Christian. Also unlike RG he has not made any Church or Mosque 'runs' for votes.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Harold D'cunha, Mangalore, India.

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Sunil Padival, Mangalore

    Why Rahul Gandhi's religion is bothering you all people so much. Stop negativity. Where is the patriotism. Is India first or religion first.

    DisAgree [6] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Harold D'cunha, Mangalore, India.

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    The Modi, Amit shah is not the same what one has seen the ethical combination of Atal Vajapaee and Advani. Both Modi, Amit Shah do not care for any ethics. Their only aim to win election no matter what cost. They will lower to any extent in order to be in power.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Peter, Bangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    BJp gained popularity by invoking Hindu and Temples.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • SMR, Karkala

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    The Garo Baptist Convention is celebrating 150 years of Christianity at Rajasimla in East Garo Hills from February 8-11. The Baptist Church set foot in Garo Hills at Rajasimla in 1867.

    “In the past, many religious leaders be it Pope (John Paul II) or Dalai Lama or Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have visited Meghalaya without any objection. The step only demonstrates the hidden agenda of the BJP government against the Christians and other religious communities".

    Surprisingly this denial come from PM Modi's own minister Union Tourism Minister K.J.Alphons.
    who said “Why are you giving this a communal and religious angle. Countries like England and Canada rejects visas to so many people irrespective of their religion. So does it mean these countries are anti-Christians. Ministry of External Affairs has to follow a standard protocol,” .

    It is highly condemnable to reject the visa application of a global religious leader to attend the sesquicentenary celebrations of Christianity organized by the Garo Baptist Convention. By denying he visa BJP has exposed the true stand and its religious agenda against Christians who still remembers the 'Kandhamal riots against Christians in Odisha, Graham Stains and his two son's being burned down, Church attacks in Karnataka and Gujarat.
    Jai Hind

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  • Dr.S.Kamath, Mumbai

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Visa was rejected by Indian Embassy office in South Africa due to some Technical Documents problem
    Govt of India has no role in it .External affairs ministry came to know just now and they have instructed Embassy office to reconsider the application .But why they applied at the last moment that is 29th January 2018 ? Generally planned event should apply within 1 month atleast so that if there is any defficiency in documents it can be complied with
    Every body wants urgent
    Sushma Swaraj has given visas to Pakistanis why will they deny Christian Father ?

    DisAgree [15] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Thank you for this enlightenment, Dr. Kamath,

    I a am sure Christians in rest of India would be least bothered whether the said individual attends, or otherwise. However, BJP has already come to conclusion that by one priest's attending, the entire Meghalaya will be under the influence of Christianity. That is, when he they know that the Christian population in India is stagnant, since a decade.

    Well, the party must bridle the oratory ability of hallucinating members instead of allowing them to instigate already insecure followers of their religion.

    DisAgree [10] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Willie Menda, Bangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    On one hand Kohli is saying, BJP doesn't decide on visas and on the other you are saying Sushma has given visas to Pakistanis. Who is correct here ?

    DisAgree [5] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    "However, Kohli said the BJP does not decide if a visa is given or not given to a person planning to visit India"

    When he is aware of the limitation of his power, he should limit his oratory scum too. Because when India restricts foreign religious delegates, there is all possibility that Shri Shri Ravishankar, Baba Ramdes or all other Swamis' mobility in countries out side India comes under restriction.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Apologies for unintentional typographic error. Baba Ramdev.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Road_Romeo, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Babas or Swamijis not entertain forced conversion of poor people in the name of God,liqueur .what happened in Kerala and northeast ,you should know now central govt is not ruled by Sonia Antenio Manio

    DisAgree [15] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    How old are you Road Romeo ? Before 200 years, all countries in the world were either under European/American occupation or were confined to themselves without any influence from outside (i.e. some African countries). Those were under occupation, succumbed to religious conversion, India being one of them, especially Southern and NE regions.

    Now, I am 100% sure that my father was born before Independence and he was a born Christian. So was his father who may have born early 1900. Now, if you blame present generation to have converted, who is a fool here ? You either be happy for India coming under the influence of the invaders and progressed, or wish India to be like some African countries.

    Joy or resentment is in your hands, but please, don't crib - nothing can be changed now. I under no circumstances am ready to change my religion that I am born into.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Oh ! Forgot to say this to you. Sonia Gandhi married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968. Sorry to say, by this time Indian territories you mentioned were already occupied with third generation of the early converted. Sonia could do nothing to influence either to convert or undo the process.

    Please think twice before you place your blame with somebody.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [10] Report Abuse

  • Dr.S.Kamath, Mumbai

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    You appear to be totallty ignorant about the Great Indian Economy before the arrival of Europeans
    Listen to speach by Shashi Tharoor in Youtube
    How dare you compare India to some African Countries ???
    We were very much Rich before Europeans came to India .They Looted us Some estimates say 1400 Million Pounds of wealth was looted by Britsh alone \
    They all came for business from India

    DisAgree [8] Agree [9] Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Dr. Kamath,

    When did I say the Europeans/Americans came to India because India was poor ? India was very rich, so were African countries, with their natural resources. Ironical is that the BJP doesn't believe the reforms and steps taken (aftermath of the looting of Indian richness by the British) by the government to revive the economy. If Congress had looted (as you all say it did in the past 70 years) in the volume of British, they would have owned Islands abroad instead of continuing to stay in India.

    As for African countries, their wealth got drained because of civil war. A few rich became richer and behaved like kings while the rest of the population endures slavery. If BJP does not give up its communal stand, India will someday end up like Africa, with people killing each other for religion.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [10] Report Abuse

  • Dr.S.Kamath, Mumbai

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Not only natural Resources .We had Robust textile Industry,Gems and jewellery Industry ,Arts and Sculptures ,Rich Indian Culture ,Rich Ayurveda System of Medicine
    After 1947 We have created Millions of Engineers ,Doctors ,Scientists who are now Leading Lights of the entire world .What did Britsh give after 1947 ? We Indians irrespective of religion have excellent Gene pool dont Compare with some African Countries

    DisAgree [8] Agree [6] Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sat, Feb 10 2018

    Dr. Kamath,

    Perhaps you must explain this to those who say 'Italian looted India' or what the Congress did to uplift India since 70 years of independence.

    We the third generation of Independent India are an utter ungrateful lot. One of us even went to the extent of saying Indira/Rajive did not die fighting on the border. Last four years of experience did not explain it to them as to how difficult it was with a deficit economy to have come to be able to repay World Bank loan by the previous government. To have sustained two recession throughout the world, still to contain the economy to the state it handed over in to NDA in 2014.

    India deserves the present government that pockets lesser crude oil than that was before 4 years yet charges the citizens much more than UPA did. Fittingly deserve it !

    DisAgree [5] Agree [8] Report Abuse


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