BJP will protect interests of Christians: Kiren Rijiju

Guwahati: Bogged down by charges of being anti-Christian, the BJP has intensified its campaign in Nagaland while asserting that the interests of the majority Christian people of the state has to be protected.

Rejecting the allegation, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, who is also the BJP poll in-charge in Nagaland, said that the BJP has been fighting to protect the interests of Christians at the national level.

“Our opponents have nothing to say about us as we have tackled corruption and other issues, so they are now saying that we are ‘anti-Christian’,” said the minister, who addressed a series of election meetings for the BJP candidates in Nagaland.

To counter the campaign of his opponents, Mr Rijiju went on saying that he would leave politics if any church or any Christian in the state were persecuted during their reign.

“Though there are a large number of Christians in Arunachal Pradesh and in Goa, they elected the BJP, which speaks volumes about the party, he said, adding that even a Muslim-majority state like Jammu and Kashmir has opted to elect BJP.

Asserting that BJP was very much aware of the Naga political issue, Mr Rijiju stated that this election would shape the future of Nagaland.

“PM Narendra Modi is very clear about the Naga struggle and has personally assured that it will be the BJP’s moral duty to solve this problem during this tenure,” he added.

With the Prime Minster scheduled to address a rally in Tuensang in few days time, Mr Rijiju also called upon the electorates to vote for BJP-NDPP candidates.

Meanwhile, Nagaland Peoples Front president Shurhozelie Liezietsu has launched a frontal attack on his opponents while urging the Naga people to choose between preserving their identity and money.