Dimapur: The Congress has lashed out at Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio and state BJP leaders for not raising their voices against the demand of the RSS-backed Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch (JDSSM) for delisting of tribals who are Christians from the list of Scheduled Tribes.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress Bhavan here on Thursday, AICC media coordinator Sujata Paul said the BJP’s real intentions are out in the open as it is ready with a plan to take away the special status granted to Nagaland under Article 371 (A).
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She said the JDSSM is not only demanding the removal of the ST status of the tribals that entitles them to the reservation in jobs but also the amendment of Article 342A of the Constitution.
She said Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has not spoken a word against the demand of the JDSSM, which is active in Guwahati, for this attack on tribals and their identity nor did he issue a statement condemning it.
Alleging that Rio is in cohorts with Sarma, Paul said the former allowed the BJP to creep into the state.
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“Should Rio and state BJP leaders not speak out against the JDSSM’s demand,” the AICC leader asked.
She demanded that the BJP must answer why no action is being taken against the JDSSM which is attacking the tribals from Guwahati.
Saying that there had been 365 incidents of attacks against Christians across the country in one year, Paul urged the people of Nagaland to be careful about the BJP’s agenda.
She added that the people of Nagaland can see the “dubious double face” of the BJP that refused to speak up against the JDSSM despite getting 12 seats in the last assembly of the state.
Also, pointing out that the BJP-ruled governments in Uttarakhand and Gujarat have already formed committees to implement the Uniform Civil Code at the earliest, Paul asked how the BJP is going to bring in the UCC in Nagaland that enjoys special status under Article 371(A).
“Do you not consider the Naga tribes and their identity valuable? Or do you intend to snatch away our special powers,” she questioned the BJP.