ITANAGAR, 3 Mar: The Congress party in the state has critically viewed the recent visit of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to the state, as the visit happened at a time when Arunachal Pradesh is grappling with heated religious debate over the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
In a statement, the party said that the visit “could pave the way for the BJP government in the state to move ahead with the implementation of the APFRA” and expressed scepticism over the visit.
“Above all, the visit of the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has certainly motivated, encouraged, emboldened and united all RSS brigades and alliances in favour of implementation of the APFRA. This could be seen as a threat to the region’s cultural and religious diversity,” the party added.
The Congress further stated that the RSS is trying to expand its imprint in the state.
“The visit was part of the attempt by the RSS to expand its influence in the region and promote its ideology and its presence in the state considering Arunachal Pradesh as its soft target. Also, the visit of Mohan Bhagwat may have implications for the region’s politics as it might be an attempt by the RSS to expand its influence in the state to secure the vote banks of the BJP,” the Congress said.
The party added that the emphasis of the RSS on majoritarianism religious nationalism is at odds with the cultural and religious traditions of Arunachal’s tribal communities.
Further, the Congress said that “the religious politics of the RSS could lead to further divisions and tensions within the tribal communities, and may undermine efforts to address the region’s development challenges.”
