The National People’s Party (NPP) on Thursday requested Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to grant visa to Rev (Dr) Paul Msiza of Baptist World Alliance to visit the state of Meghalaya.
Seeking Swaraj’s intervention, the NPP wrote an official letter to the External Affairs Minister requesting her to grant visa to Dr Paul Msiza, the Johannesburg-based president of Baptist World Alliance, for a four-day celebration at Rajasimla from Thursday.
The Garo Baptist Convention had invited Dr Paul Msiza to the celebration of 150 years of Christianity in the small town of Garo Hills in the State.
Rajasimla is in Kharkutta Assembly segment of Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district.
In the letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister, the NPP stated that the celebration is one and only historic occasion of the people of Garo Hills and that the president of Baptist World Alliance be allowed to visit the State.
The Garo Baptist Convention which is organizing the celebration is affiliated to Baptist World Alliance.
In a tweet in the official twitter handle of the party, the NPP stated that it ‘reiterates our stance regarding the plight of the minorities.’
The tweet read: #Meghalaya under the leadership of @SangmaConrad would like to reiterate our stance regarding the plight of the minorities. We request our Hon’ble External Affairs Minister @SushmaSwaraj to intervene and grant the visa to Rev. (Dr.) Paul Msiza, Baptist World Alliance.
Political parties in the poll-bound State are cashing in on the issue with several reacting sharply to the visa denial as a ploy of the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Meghalaya goes to the polls on February 27.