Shillong, Sept 25: People in Meghalaya are now looking beyond the anti-Christian tag of BJP and voting for development, BJP leader and cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai said while welcoming the eight UDP legislators to the party fold.
“It is a message to the people of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills that they should praise the MLAs who have far-sightedness and love their constituency and state. The issues they raise are genuine for the overall interest of our state,” Shullai told reporters on Friday.
He said the BJP was facing the same propaganda that Congress had once faced.
Citing resistance to Congress among the people in the past, he said, “In the old days, people used to say Congress is a foreign party and did not accept it, but later they understood and accepted it.”
Shullai sought to draw a parallel between the change in public sentiment over the years, saying, “Now they allege BJP is an anti-Christian party.”
However, he said, the public mindset has changed.
“As I go to programmes across Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills, people say they are tired of other parties and will now look towards Narendra Modi,” he said.
Asserting that “people no longer accept the anti-Christian allegation”, the veteran leader said, “They will accept development – water, rice, gas given by Modi… farmers’ schemes, rural electrification, roads and footpaths.”
“Compare 50 years ago and how much our state has shone in 10 years under Modi-led BJP. The public will no longer be misled,” Shullai said.
Asserting that BJP’s presence ensures growth, he said, “If BJP wins in a constituency, there is a lot of development, prosperity, peace and tranquillity.”
He cited development works taking place his own South Shillong constituency, saying, “Look at my constituency and other constituencies.”
‘Will go to Modi’s bedroom to protect Christians’
The BJP leader, meanwhile, said he would go to any extent, even to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bedroom, to protect the Christian community.
Reacting to allegations as to who would protect Christians if he is in the BJP, Shullai said, “I will protect them, I will even go to Modi’s bedroom if there is such an allegation.” Terming the allegation baseless, he said, “Take the example of my constituency.”
