Aizawl: Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) adviser John Siamkunga on Friday criticised Chief Minister Lalduhoma for attending the swearing-in ceremony of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, describing the act as “unfortunate” and politically questionable.
Addressing Congress workers at the Congress Bhavan in Aizawl, Siamkunga said Lalduhoma’s presence at the event, despite not being an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), raised doubts about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) financial support to the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) during the 2023 assembly elections.
He accused the BJP of persecuting Christians across the country, alleging frequent attacks on pastors and church buildings. “It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister attended the swearing-in ceremony of Assam’s Chief Minister, who had earlier said the Assam government would no longer celebrate Christmas,” Siamkunga said.
The MPCC adviser claimed that the BJP’s growing influence nationwide was not due to the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he said, “has never faced even a single press conference”, but because of the organisational strength of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which operates over 70,000 branches across India.
To support his argument, Siamkunga alleged that according to an earlier resolution, Modi was expected to step down upon turning 75 on September 17 last year, as per the party’s age-limit rule. “However, after meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur, he continued as Prime Minister,” he claimed.
