SHILLONG, SEPT 24: Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF) secretary Rev Edwin Kharkongor has termed the recent joining of UDP MLAs to the BJP as a betrayal of the mandate given by the people.
Reacting to the development, Kharkongor said there is no issue when individuals join a political party on their own, but the problem arises when elected representatives switch sides.
The move exposes their hunger for power and self-interest over commitment to good governance and public welfare, he said.
In a statement, Kharkongor also criticised the BJP’s ideology, accusing it of promoting majoritarianism and remaining silent on key issues including the ethnic violence in Manipur and attacks on Christians and minorities by right-wing groups.
He alleged the party, despite welfare schemes, pushes a “One Nation, One Language, One Religion” agenda that threatens indigenous and minority identities.
In Meghalaya, he said, the BJP has been practicing domination politics. Even with just two seats, it has influenced governance, and the latest defections have given it a “false and fake sense of legitimacy”, he said.
Kharkongor said the MLAs had traded public trust for “X pieces of silver” and temporary prominence, losing ethical and moral ground in the process.
He said it is now up to the voters of those constituencies to express their outrage and reject such opportunism.
