Advani's Shillong visit

Advani wants assailants of Christians punished
Our Bureau
SHILLONG/GUWAHATI: Denouncing the recent killings of Christians and attacks on churches in Orissa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, senior BJP leader LK Advani has called for punishment to the culprits as per the law of the land and said he would pursue the issue of anti-Christian violence with the governments in BJP-ruled states.

Mr Advani, during his visit to Shillong on Monday, stopped short of articulating his party's stand on the sensitive issue of communal unrest but assured Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy and different religious leaders that he would look into their concerns about the recent atrocities on Christians and ask the governments in BJP-ruled states to check recurrence of such violence.

Though the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha refused to address any press conference in the city fuelling speculation that BJP did not want its prime ministerial candidate to face "uncomfortable questions" from newsmen on issues related to violence against Christians, Mr Advani did tell the media at Guwahati airport that he had condemned the attacks on Christians and wanted the guilty punished. "I strongly condemn these acts of violence and vandalism which cannot be condoned or justified. The law must take its course and the culprits must be brought to justice," he said.

Mr Advani's comment "I am going to address a press conference at Guwahati" that he made at the public meeting at the Asom Kristi Kendra, Shillong irked mediapersons who had waited for several hours since 11 am to have a formal press meet with the BJP leader.

At their meeting with Mr Advani at a city hotel, Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy and NCP leader Purno A Sangma expressed concern over the atrocities on Christians in BJP-ruled states and sought the BJP leader's intervention on the matter.

Mr Advani told Dr Roy and Mr Sangma that he would look into the concerns raised by Christian leaders on the attacks on Christians allegedly unleashed by VHP and Bajrang Dal in Orissa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

"He (Mr Advani) condemned the violence, and is very much concerned about the matter since he is also a product of a Christian school," Mr Sangma told reporters after the meeting.

Mr Advani also assured various religious leaders of taking up the issue of anti-Christian violence with the governments in BJP-ruled states. The all-faith meeting was attended by Arch Bishop of Shillong Arch Diocese Dominic Jala and Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) Administrative Secretary Rev SS Majaw, besides Hindu and Muslim religious leaders.

"Mr Advani has assured us that he would try to persuade the governments in BJP-ruled states to check violence against Christians," Arch Bishop Jala said while speaking to mediapersons. The Arch Bishop also submitted a memorandum to Mr Advani on the issue.

Interestingly, leaders of other Christian denominations like Church of God, Baptist Church and Petecostal Church were not invited to the meeting with the BJP leader.

Mr Advani also addressed a meeting of religious leaders in Guwahati where he stressed that "there is a need for frank and constructive inter-religious dialogues on all such issues that may be agitating the mind of this or that community."

‘Keep Congress out of power’
By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: Virtually launching BJP's campaign for the next Lok Sabha elections, veteran politician and BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani on Monday said Meghalaya had shown the way for the country in keeping Congress out of power and held the Sonia Gandhi-led party solely responsible for illegal immigration of Bangladeshis into the North-East.

"Meghalaya has shown the way for the country in giving holiday to Congress which ruled the State for many years. Let the whole country also give similar holiday to Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections," Mr Advani said at a public meeting at the Asom Kristi Kendra, Dhankheti here.

Amid thunderous applause, the firebrand BJP leader said, "Holiday for Congress is good for both the party and the country. We will ensure that maximum number of seats should go to NDA in the next general polls."

Without making any reference to the violence against Christians in the country, Mr Advani sought to belittle the death threat issued to him via an e-mail by a youth from Shillong in the name of Indian Mujaheedin (IM), saying, "My visit to this city was publicised in the whole country thanks to reports about the e-mail threat which, I hope, is being looked into by the government."

On the issue of influx of Bangladeshis, he reiterated that illegal immigration of Bangladeshis into the North-East had remained a threat to the ethnic identity of people of the region and blamed Congress for failing to deal with the issue.

Despite the Supreme Court admonishing the Congress Government in Assam on the erstwhile IMDT Act, the government had "colluded" with illegal immigrants by resorting to amendment to the Foreigners Detection Act, he said.

"The Congress Government in Assam has colluded with illegal immigrants by making it possible for them to enter the state and also ensuring that they cannot be pushed back," Mr Advani said.

Further, Mr Advani said the concerns of various states, including Meghalaya, would be seriously taken up by NDA if the alliance came to power at the Centre.

"The purpose of my visit here is to make it clear that BJP is determined to see that all requirements of the North-East are taken care of. Though the North-East is far from the rest of the country, the region is close to our party (BJP)," he said.

Expressing concern over the threat of terrorism to the country, the BJP leader said stringent anti-terror law was required to deal with the menace.

source: theshillongtimes