Move to immerse Vajpayee's ashes in Nagaland triggers outrage

Kohima (Nagaland), Aug 24, 2018

The Congress in Nagaland said the immersion of ashes belonging to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in some selected rivers across the country had been turned into a "political circus" by the BJP and more so by BJP Nagaland.

The Congress in a press statement said that the last rites are performed by the family members for peace of the departed soul but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP usurped the last remains of Vajpayee and were using it for petty political gains.

It added, “Having consigned the former PM into political oblivion after 2004 election defeat and rendering his political thoughts and actions irrelevant through divisive agenda and hate politics, the BJPs sudden affection for the former PM after his demise is just a ploy to extract some cheap political mileage.”

The Congress further said that the activities of BJP Nagaland and particularly its state president displaying their eagerness to please their communal masters by following and observing rituals that were alien to our way of life is an insult to all right thinking Nagas.

They added, “While Naga’s have been struggling for the past seven decades to protect our unique history, the all out attempt by state BJP to assimilate them into a new alien culture as dictated by their high command is a severe assault on the aspirations of the Naga’s and their future. Respecting others belief and culture should not be at the cost of compromising our very own belief and culture that forms the core foundation of our existence as individual and as tribe. The zealous conduct of the State BJP President in propagating the Hindutva culture of the RSS in the state which is even despised by majority of Hindus across the country therefore needs to be seriously condemned."

“Congress remains the only barrier against the onslaught of Hindutva forces in Nagaland and we earnestly appeal to people from different walks of life to come forward and join hands together to prevail upon the present situation of helplessness created by elected leaders who have compromised everything for the love of power and money”, they added.