Shillong, Feb 25: The Nationalist Congress Party in Meghalaya has lodged an FIR while the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation lodged a formal complaint against former BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar, accusing him of making baseless, defamatory remarks that targeted Christians and threatened communal harmony.
In the complaint filed at Sardar Police Station, NCP youth president Dapkupar Nongrum said Deodhar, speaking at Pynter village on February 16, claimed a church had imposed conditions for enrolling students in its school — including compulsory church attendance, conversion to Christianity, and passing a Bible exam. Deodhar allegedly said students who failed the Bible subject would be declared unsuccessful even if they passed Mathematics and Science.
The complaint says Deodhar also alleged that the government sides with the church and denies Indigenous faith (Niam Tynrai) believers access to hospitals, roads, schools and electricity unless they convert.
Nongrum called the statements vague and calculated to provoke discord, saying they hurt religious sentiments and endanger long-standing inter-faith harmony in Meghalaya.
The party has sought action under sections 196, 197, 299 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) also lodged a formal complaint against the senior BJP leader.
The complaint filed with the officer in-charge of the Sadar police station was based on a viral youtube video on Deodhar’s speech in Khasi language at the Indigenous faith conference.
The HITO alleged that Deodhar’s remarks “grossly misrepresent the historical and cultural context of the Khasi-Pnar community and appear aimed at stirring division, particularly against those who identify as Christians.”
It said that Deodhar — a former BJP national secretary and longtime Northeast organiser — made statements that are “not only misleading but deeply hurtful to people whose lived experiences reflect mutual respect and coexistence across faiths.”
The organization cites “language that disparages sacred beliefs” and references to Jesus Christ revered by Christians as potentially inflaming tensions.
“Any speech that undermines this harmony, suggests exclusion, or denigrates others’ faith traditions is not merely divisive — it threatens public peace,” the HITO stated in the complaint, urging police to investigate under provisions relating to hate speech, communal provocation and disruption of public tranquillity.
