SHILLONG, MAR 26: National People’s Party (NPP) state president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday asked the people of Meghalaya to reject the allegations made by political opponents that NPP and BJP are the same.
“The allegation that NPP is BJP and BJP is NPP is highly unacceptable. Such allegations usually come once in five years during MP, MLA and MDC elections. Therefore, I urge the voters not to believe in such allegations, which come out only during elections,” Tynsong told reporters.
He was reacting to the allegations made following the BJP’s decision to support the candidates of the NPP from Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held on April 19.
Tynsong also recalled that in 2018, similar allegations were made saying that people should not vote for NPP as NPP is BJP and if they win elections, they may even close down churches and take away freedom of people to worship and follow any faith they like.
“That was the allegation made that time. God is great because when we won and formed the government from 2018 to 2023, I want to ask those who had made the allegations whether there was any restriction on worship by people at any point of time by the government under the leadership of the NPP. As NPP, we are committed to protect the minorities and also we want to protect the identity of the tribal indigenous people of the North East and India as a whole,” he said.
Tynsong further stated that the BJP is extending support to the NPP without any conditions.
“I have seen the allegations have again been made that now it is confirmed that the NPP is BJP and BJP is NPP because the high command of the BJP decided to support the NPP in both Shillong and Tura parliamentary constituencies. As state president of NPP, I want to say this, we welcome the decision of the BJP to support the candidates of the NPP without any conditions,” he said.
“As leaders, we are also surprised as we never expected as they too were preparing and inviting applications from aspirants from Tura and Shillong. We thought that the BJP will surely contest. But we leave it to their wisdom. Maybe the BJP high command is thinking it is good (to extend support) as NPP is an NDA alliance,” he added.
The NPP state president said that his party is also supporting other political parties from the North East region, who are also NDA alliance partners.
“We also support other parties in Manipur and in Nagaland. It doesn’t mean just because we support NDA, you say we forget the Constitution of our party. Our motto and agenda as NPP is to protect and preserve the identity of tribals of the region and India as a whole,” he added.
